Sometimes we have to be brought to our lowest point in order to be put on the path we were meant to walk. We look up when we are on our knees. Without the struggle there is no strength, right? I want to share a little more of our entrepreneurial journey with you in hopes that if you are going through some struggles in your life, business or relationship, you will feel like you’re not alone. I will start with this quote by Darla Evans, “Those scars you accumulated are the markings of a warrior.”
We knew that the real estate market was not going to bounce back from this collapse and it was time for a change. We wanted to move to a more stable market so that Matt could still flip houses. We had no idea where we were going but we were trying to stay open to any idea. Matt and I believe that you are always given signs and if you are open to receiving what the universe is saying you will see them.
We were at a friends house one weekend and they had someone they knew over as well. We had never met this man before but he was talking about Greensboro NC and how stable the real estate market was there. He did not know our situation or that Matt was a real estate investor. Matt and I both took it as a sign that this is where we needed to be. We started researching the area and looking at rental properties and found a little town outside of Greensboro called Ramsuer. It didn’t seem too far away from the city and we found a rental home that from the pictures looked suitable. We sent our deposit and packed up the remainder of our stuff and headed to NC. I was terrified. We had no family or friends in NC. I had never lived out of the state of Florida and the familiar is all the stability I felt like I had.
You cannot grow without being uncomfortable. We were being stretched and growing is what we were destined for.
When we got to Ramseur NC it was gloomy and raining. We pulled up to the house, the yard was so muddy and wet from all the rain, Matt got the Uhaul truck stuck in the yard. The house itself was so dirty my heart sank. I was hoping the inside was better than the outside but was not the case. It was so dirty we had to get a hotel that night because I was not going to let my kids sleep in that mess. I was feeling so empty and scared. I saw the fear in Matt’s eyes. It was just him and I and we had to make this work. There was so much pressure on both of us. I’m sure he was more afraid than he showed but I felt his heart break.
The next day we went to work trying to make our house a home. We scrubbed, and cleaned for days. I kept telling myself, the storm doesn’t last forever. We will see the light soon. We slowly adjusted to our new town and things seemed to even out a little.
I believe God has a sense of humor because after a few months of living in Ramsuer I was feeling tired and a little ran down. I thought it was because of the amount of stress we were going through. We were struggling financially. Matt had went in another direction with real estate and started doing foreclosure inspections. This was good but the woman he was working for was sketchy on paying him. I’m a fixer and when something is broken I have a strong desire to fix it. I learned very quickly through this I’m not in control. I had to give it to God and trust in his results.
One morning I was standing in the bedroom and noticed that my stomach looked weird. I thought, could I be pregnant? Surely not, this is not happening. We can not have another baby. Nope, this is not going to happen. Well yes, yes this was happening. I was pregnant! We could not believe it. This was not the time. We were in no place to have more kids. I had just started a new job myself. There was no going back, we had a choice to freak out or accept and move forward. We were going to have a little baby.
Looking back I smile because even though to the outside it seemed chaotic and crazy we still held on to each other. One of the biggest lessons I learned is you choose happiness. When life isn’t ideal you have a choice, you can be a victim or a victor. I didn’t know why these things were happening back then but now I realize it was to strengthen us and to help relate to others going through similar struggles.
I read a quote that reminded me of this time in my life. “She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her away she adjusted her sails.” Elizabeth Edwards
