Every Storm Has A Purpose
You can’t predict what you will walk into on any given day. What might seem like a normal day with everything under control could flip in a matter of seconds.
That’s what happened when our team went on what we expected to be a routine walkthrough of our U.S. Christian Chamber SWC 2024 Business Expo and Global Conference site on Friday afternoon before Thanksgiving.
That routine walkthrough turned out to be anything but. It turned out to be a storm we weren’t expecting and didn’t immediately understand.
We’ve been locked into that event site since April. When we booked it, the location seemed perfect. But then we launched the USCCC, and after seven months of growth, it became clear the space would not hold our growing expo and conference.
Our team sat in the lobby of the former site and prayed, seeking God’s divine wisdom.
God if it is your will that we stay at this location, make it clear. If we need to find a new location, please make that clear also.
We turned it over to God.
Looking through a pure business lens, I was flooded with thoughts that might make anyone feel overwhelmed.
When you create the cost structure for booths and conference tickets, you price it based on your anticipated expenses. What would a new location cost? Would it be within our budget?
Looking for a new location in Orlando during event season would not be easy, especially for the size of our once national, now global event. We’d already sold over 100 tickets and several hotel rooms, and spent time and effort marketing one location.
How were we going to get through this storm?
While these thoughts swirled around in my head, so did the conference title, “Doing Business from the Inside Out.” And I smiled.
As I struggled with the storm, God was emphasizing the importance of releasing the outcome to him, reminding me that no matter how things seem on the outside, I need to look through a spiritual lens.
With that perspective, I became encouraged that God had a larger venue already planned for our event than I did initially.
On Saturday afternoon, I sat at my desk and prayed. I reached out to one of our members who had a connection in one of the large hotel and event spaces. I communicated with him throughout the weekend as he got me connected with the right people.
Though they were not able to host us, because of the warm connection, they referred me to another event and conference location on Monday. That email was met with an immediate response and every single door flew wide open as I continued to step forward.
By Tuesday, we were touring our new event location and finalizing a contract. It all resolved smoothly and swiftly before Thanksgiving.
What I learned over the past week can apply to a variety of situations.
This powerful reminder of the advice to “stop, drop, and roll” in fire emergencies can be adapted to any storm. When the situation seems ablaze, don’t run. Instead, stop, drop and pray.
We often keep moving forward even when that little gnawing in our gut is saying stop. Before I understood what it means to do business with Christ, I would have moved forward with the wrong event site because there were too many logistics to work out to change locations, and I would have been afraid to move out of the known into the unknown.
I would have tried to make it work with my own strength and, in doing so, would have caused myself to work 100x harder.
By being willing to stop, drop to my knees and pray, I allowed God the opportunity to carry me through the storm—and he did in a way I could never have imagined.
The SWC 2024 Business Expo and Global Conference will be a transformational experience I encourage you to fully immerse yourself in. Pick the stay and play option for your company and your family with with our special group rate of $129 per night at a beautiful hotel and resort—a blessing that’s truly only explainable by God!
Oh yes, many of you may want to know what the location is and how to get the stay and play. Click here to check out our full event site.
When you see a storm coming in, remember every storm has a purpose we can’t always immediately see. Be prepared to stop, drop and pray so God can show you the way!
