My Story - Does This Sound Like You?
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this manner.
(1 Peter 4:12-13, 16)
Spiritual Hospitality Coaching Was Created for You
Spiritual Hospitality Coaching was created for you. Perhaps you are one of the many who are going through what I went through. It is my absolute mission to help as many people as I can so that they don't have to experience feeling lost as I did.
Here's what happened:
All was going well. I was in my third year of being in business for myself and I finally had settled into Reflexology and Business Coaching. The Reflexology was going great with lots of activity and praise God, I had built up a reputation as a great Reflexologist.
A business acquaintance suggested that I add coaching to the fold and after going back and forth many times on an appropriate niche (and working with a really bad but expensive coach) I finally honed in on working with what I called "The Uncertain Entrepreneur." I was able to do a lot of networking and was marketing on the Internet -- and I was starting to attract clients.
Then one day when I was out, my mother informed me when I returned home that she had fallen. Since she was walking OK at the time, I said "oh" and didn't think much more about it (my mother is a bit of the drama queen and always has something wrong with her -- LOL).
Later that week, she fell again while getting dressed to go to my friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She almost fell again before we got inside and by the time we were ready to leave, my mother could barely move. Somehow we managed to get home and climb the four steps up to our house.
We wound up going to the doctor to make sure she hadn't broken anything and the doctor suggested physical therapy.
Because I was still running around at the time for my business I had hired someone to stay with my mother from a networking acquaintance's senior care company.
When I came home my mother told me that "Susie" had given her some exercises to do. Unfortunately, the next morning my mother could not get out of bed. And this was not drama queen stuff. She literally could not get out of bed. Something happened after she did those "exercises" although to this day I don't know what went wrong. Well, actually I do have an idea but that's another story.
A Year of Pain
Thus began a year where she was in constant pain. I bought every kind of OTC pain relieving remedy there was so it seemed and my mother finally had to take painkillers -- which made her just slightly loopy (there are some things she doesn't even remember) and even caused a mild addiction.
During that time, it was virtually impossible for me to sit down at the computer and get any work done. She was constantly moaning and groaning (she has a very low threshold for pain) and I was interrrupted too many times to mention. I finally wound up moving my office downstairs but still couldn't spend large uninterrupted chunks of time working on my business.
When I did go out to an off-site reflexology appointment or to a meeting I had to hire someone to stay with my mother. While the person was wonderful and had a very reasonable hourly rate, the expense of that still added up -- although I was quite happy to be able to employ someone who needed extra income.
Nevertheless, it became very clear that I was like a one-armed paperhanger as far as building the coaching business. The Reflexology was able to survive off of the clients and marketing I had done, but the coaching was still in its infancy stage to have any carry over.
The Uncertain Entrepreneur
I became frustrated and angry that despite my best efforts, I just couldn't put the attention on growing the coaching business, plus I still wasn't 100 percent sure I had chosen the right niche. I knew I wanted to work with small businesses but I was the ultimate "Uncertain Entrepreneur" myself.
During this time of upheaval and incertainty, my thinking became completely cloudy because I was totally overwhelmed by suddenly being cast into a caregiver mode. My mother wasn't sick enough to put into a nursing home (and neither she nor I wanted that anyway) and hiring a caretaker was getting to be really expensive.
So I just kind of threw my hands up and said "Timmmmmmmber" and that's what happened. Things started to collapse. Funny, with all my self-help books, Internet seminars, feng shui training, et al, nothing seemed to get my out of this mental abyss.
And I think most frustrating of all I continued to go to church (and faithfully tithe) but I felt like I had no one to talk to about how overwhelmed I felt. Everyone viewed me as the "faithful, diligent daughter" plus it's not my nature to complain and walk around with my heart on my sleeve -- but gee whiz, I was totally in a state of overwhelm and bewilderment.
It turns out my mother needed a knee replacement -- something she had been putting off but it was either have the knee replacement or become totally immobile.
During this time I did much reflecting to find the "lesson" in all this. Clearly, my role at this time was to care for my mother. But I kind of threw the baby out with the bathwater, thinking that there was no way I could take care of my mother AND run a business.
Again, during all this period of turmoil, there was no one coming out the woodwork to give me some guidance, offer some suggestions that did not include moving my mother offsite or spending an arm and a leg on companion care. The coaches I was working with seemed oblivious to the fact that my time wasn't my own and continued to bombard me with assignments that I could not focus on.
Mr. Nemesis Comes Along
I now know that "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." (John 10:10). "Mr. Nemesis" had gotten me completely confused and I couldn't even see it. No one else seemed to see it either. If they did, they didn't say anything.
Had I known what I know now, I would not have thrown my hands up in the air (yielding to the ingenous one), I would prayed to God to help me through the confusion. And again, after going to church Sunday after Sunday, I never made the connection about how to get through this crisis spiritually and I felt unable to go to anyone in my church "family" to discuss this issue. I will say that during this time I started listening to TBN faithfully and visiting some other churches to hear special guest speakers. It was the Word I got through TBN, Christian books, Christian tapes and outside speakers (including the sensational Dr. Nasir Siddiki and W.V. Grant, Jr.) that really helped get me through this period and which allowed me to keep faith in God. Anti-depressants were totally out of the question and talking until I was "blue in the face" with some soulless psychologist was not what I wanted, either.*
The Bible says that everyone will eventually go through a trial. It is how you handle the trial that makes a difference. You can buckle under and give the "enemy" the upper hand since he wants to wreck your life anyway -- or you can take the high road and just keep praising God for the good things he has done, knowing that there is hope and a future on the other side. Jesus Christ said "I have come that they have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
What is YOUR Story?
Perhaps you are in the midst of a story similar to mine. Perhaps you are in the midst of some ordeal or obstacle that is seeming to make life impossible, For whatever reason, friends, family and church are simply not providing the emotional and spiritual support you need, In fact they may not even know you need it.
You need to speak with someone who has been where you are, will listen non-judgmentally and provide you words of insightful, encouragement and not just empty platitudes ("Oh, you'll be OK," "It will work out.). There is so much more to this story in terms of what I have learned and can share with others. I have learned the roundabout way that the fundamental answers lie not in "The Secret," "The New Earth" or the latest "thing," but in the original source, the original "manual. Unfortunately, in this day and age, not many people outside of diehard Christians will tell you that and the Bible itself has become a bit of a "secret." I'm certified as a Christian Coach through the Professional Christian Coaching and Counseling Academy and have completed study with the Bibical Coaching Academy. I'm also certified through the Coach Training Alliance and have studied with the Law of Attraction Training Center so I have had secular coaching, as well.
If you are seeking someone like me, then I am seeking someone like you! I know there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are not being spiritually fed and are not experiencing Spiritual Hospitality in their life, business or relationships. There is no need to "suffer in silence" any longer.
If you are ready to move out of your pit or rut and to move on to the inheritance that God promises all of us, then come to the table. I have delicious food to give you.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. (Hebrews 10:23; 35)
Please contact me at hospitablecoach@aol.com or call me for a 15-minute Hospitality Chat to see how I may serve you.
My Sincerest Blessings to You,
Paula Quick
Spiritual Hospitality Coach
* Disclaimer: Please note that if you are in medical need of professional counseling, then Spiritual Hospitality coaching is not for you.. Please get the professional psychological help you need. On the other hand, if enhanced spirituality is what you are seeking and the "nudge" that you need to press through, then we may be a perfect fit!
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Paula Quick, Spiritual Hospitality Coach, shows Fruit of the Spirit at "Blooming Gardenia" health expo in Virginia.
