Struggle Series - Part 3

Struggle Series: Part 1 and Part 2.

We had been avoiding the conversation for a while, but we knew it was time to make THE decision about Java Cone. At the time all of the bills were barely caught up with home and business, but we knew that we didn't have much time left before our funds would run out. We sat down and looked at the numbers. We realized that our sales would have to increase by at least 10-15k/month in order for us to make it.

We didn't want to sound like we were negative or not trusting God that these numbers were impossible, but at the same time we wanted to stop while we were ahead instead of risk of going really in the hole with our finances. We talked to a couple of different people before making our decision. They advised that it would be wise to get out now if it didn't look like we were going to make it.

With lots and lot of tears, we made the decision to close Java Cone. I don't think I will ever forget that day. Michael informed our families of our decision and we began to plan how the closing would go. We decided to close 9 days after our decision. We already paid rent and many monthly bills, so we decided it would be best to get the maximum amount of profit for the rest of the month. We stopped ordering food besides buns and beef. We ran out of a lot of stuff.

We told our employees and our customers of when our closing day would be. We didn't know if we should do this, since most business' will just close down without a warning. We had several new friends, and I am so thankful we told them. The final day Java Cone was open, a Saturday, was one of the highest days in sales. My sister watched the kids, and I was able to be a Java Cone most of the day. I'm glad I was able to be there to say our final goodbye's to several of our faithful customers.

We got home that night, and in a weird way, we felt a sense of relief and peace. An indescribable peace that can only come from God. Philippians 4: 6-7, "⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

We had both taken a shower and were in bed talking when, to our surprise, our lives we're about to change forever.