Change of perspective

You can always find someone who is worse off than you - even if you're not looking for them. 

After work today, I went to the letterbox, took away the returnable bottles and bought some food. Because I want the guests to feel welcome on board immediately, I went to a small flower shop to buy some heather to spread some cheer in autumn/winter.

The flower shop is located in a building that was a supermarket until the end of August. It was closed. I thought to myself that without walk-in customers, business would probably go badly and decided to get the heather there.

The owner was Asian, one half of her face looked smashed. A bullet wound? A tumour? And when I asked her how things were going, she told me that she had renewed her tenancy agreement in May 2016 - then in June she found out that the supermarket was closing. The owner probably knew this but didn't inform her. Without the walk-in customers, her business has no chance, even if some regular customers still come to her. She gets up at two o'clock in the morning - presumably to go to the wholesale flower market, works until 6 p.m. - with no income. What a life!

I admit - the situation at my publishing house is weighing on me. It's difficult when your earnings are being eaten away in many places. But I'm still doing relatively well. I don't have any major obligations - apart from renting a ship. Apart from the publishing house, I have other sources of income such as coaching and seminars. I have a robust trust in God, who has never let me down so far - even if his ideas of „testing faith“ are sometimes a little too harsh for my taste.

And I have friends, many friends, who encourage, strengthen, carry and support me.

I don't know what's wrong with this woman. In any case, she's been a regular customer since today. Flowers are infinitely good in winter. I now want to buy a small bunch of flowers every week - from her, of course. And pray that God will provide ways and solutions. And that she has an income again.