Being driven in business hurt my marriage

I have a PASSION as an entrepreneur, doing business fulfills me. I LOVE everything about the business, meeting people, hearing about their walk-in business Journey, it excites me. I share my testimony in my book: S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Christian entrepreneurs when I felt God whisper in my heart to tell what was going and what HE did to help me get back on track. This is a VERY sensitive part of my life but I believe by sharing my story, I don’t want you as an entrepreneur to go through the struggles I did, when you don’t have to. You can hear more about my testimony on the podcast.

My husband and I have known each other for over 10+ years. At this point in our lives, We just moved to a different duty station and I was excited about the new opportunities to start my business in this new area, meeting new people, and learning new things. For months, which turned into years of me “working my business” like everyone else and meeting new people put a strain in my marriage which I didn’t notice. Until one day, as I was in a meeting via, phone, with a business coach, getting some “Juicy advice” and out of nowhere, my husband said to me: “Trista, You don’t love me.”

Now, to me, I was thinking to myself: WHAT?! I’m doing this business for you and the family, why would you even say that? Which is what I actually said to him. He felt like I didn’t care, I didn’t love him and at this pint, we’ve been married for quite some time AND I just had our 3rd child. I was SHOCKED!

FOR MONTHS… We had an argument, after argument, fights, and getting NOWHERE. I FINALLY, went to God and asked HIM…” LORD, What is going on?” During this process, He began to show me what was REALLY going on in my marriage, with my kids, and my whole household. In addition to my husband feeling unloved, My 2 oldest kids were having a rough time in school, one was about to get left back in the grade and the other was being bullied for wearing hearing aids and he began to show me my heart condition as to how cold and distant my heart was becoming. I felt like everything around me was falling apart, I felt like a piece of crap, like nothing (To be honest).

I asked God to help me out of this situation, I realize God doesn’t show us how crappy or crazy we’re acting just to rub it in our face but to help us. I REALLY began to get into God’s word and seek HIM DAY and NIGHT. I told God, I DO NOT want this happening again and God began to show me what I needed to do to get back on track with HIM. He showed me S.M.A.R.T. Goals and following this strategy to be successful in all areas of my life, I actually began to experience this.

[Tweet “God wanted me to be successful in not just BUSINESS but in EVERY area of my life #adrivenwife”]

I started to believe and see how much God wanted me to be successful in not just BUSINESS but in EVERY area of my life. Jeremiah 29: 11, holds a special place in my heart because this was what God said to me after I received Christ as my LORD and Savior of my life. This was the FIRST time I EVER heard God speak to me and me knowing without a doubt that it was Him speaking to me. I didn’t know what that scripture meant at the time, but I had confidence that He spoke to me and I heard Him CLEARLY. This scripture popped up again. God had me meditating on this scripture for some time and I felt like…” Ok God, I get it you have a plan for me and EVERYONE knows this scripture, I was actually getting tired of seeing it EVERYWHERE, if you were to just type in Jeremiah in google, that scripture would come up, it’s crazy but as I kept reading it, the word prosper HIT me like a TON of bricks. It was this scripture that helps me to realize that God REALLY wants me to be successful, thriving in not just business but in EVERY area of my life.

I actually began to experience His peace, love, and TRUE JOY in just getting to know HIM and not having to worry about what the strategy is to be successful in business. I also learned that the money I made when operating in my business helps me to put money in its right perspective. The money I get is to give glory to God, be a good steward of HIS money, and knowing that it doesn’t belong to me but His. I talk more about this in my post success as a Moneymaking mom.

[Tweet “I actually began to experience His peace, love, and TRUE JOY in just getting to know HIM. #adrivenwife”]

Now, My husband and I are in LOVE like never before, it’s not perfect but we both know that God is number one in our lives and He is at the center of our marriage. A three cord strand is not easily broken (Ecc. 4:12). Both of my kids are also doing great, one did not get left-back in their grade and my other child is more confident in wearing hearing aids and talking about it with other kids more joyfully than before and both have bright futures ahead of them.

I tell you this to say GOD is the one who has done it for me and can do it for you. All is not lost, it may feel like it but it’s not, there’s hope!