He Sustains YOU. He Sustains Me

A Daily Reminder of Where My Help Comes From

There is a picture hanging on the wall in my living room that says, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” Psalm 54:4.

My sister gave it to me. She is my best friend, and she also happens to be the Director of Operations for one of my businesses. She sees me in a way very few people do. She sees what we carry on a daily basis. She sees the decisions, the problems, the victories, the pressure, the long days, the conversations no one else hears, and the things that have to be figured out whether we feel ready to figure them out or not. So when she gave me this, it wasn’t just cute wall decor. She knew. This is the lifeblood of what we do together.

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” I pray some version of that scripture nearly every morning now as I drive into one of my childcare campuses around 6:00 a.m. “Lord, provide the provision to do what You have called me to do, and sustain me in the work You have led me to.”

I pray it over myself. I pray for my staff by name. I pray for the children by name. I pray for their families. And yes, I pray especially hard for the difficult situations and the difficult people because those are usually the places where I need the Holy Spirit to lead me instead of my own emotions.

When Bigger Assignments Bring Bigger Problems

Owning businesses across multiple industries, building seven figure companies, and being responsible for around 80 employees sounds exciting when you say it quickly. And it is exciting. I am incredibly grateful for what God has allowed us to build. But bigger assignments often come with bigger problems that require your attention.

Leadership can be a strange place because people often come to you expecting an answer even when you don’t have one yet. You are expected to be the strategist. You are expected to make the decision. You are expected to stay composed. You are expected to see five steps ahead. You are expected to be polished even on the days you don’t particularly feel polished. Sometimes everyone else gets the luxury of reacting to the problem while you have to immediately begin solving it.

When the Season Gets Heavy

This week has been hard. I can admit that. We dealt with flooding again at one of my campuses. We made the difficult decision to close another location because Ohio childcare policies had changed in ways that would have made continuing to operate that location financially irresponsible. At the same time, another part of the company is experiencing tremendous growth so quickly that staffing has become its own challenge.

Then there are all of the normal things that happen every day when you own businesses. Employees need something. Parents need something. A building needs something. A bill needs paid. Someone needs hired. Someone needs trained. Something breaks. Something changes. Something you thought was handled suddenly isn’t handled. And lately, many of my days have been 12 to 15 hours long.

Tired Does Not Mean Joyless

I am in a new season. I can feel it. There is a weight to it, but there is also something different happening inside of me. Because I should probably feel overwhelmed. But I don’t.

I am tired. There is absolutely no denying that. You may look at me lately and think I look more weary than normal. You would be correct. Some days the eyelashes are barely hanging on by the grace of God and eyelash glue. But do not mistake tiredness for a lack of joy. Those are two very different things.

Internally, I have a peace that does not match what is happening externally. There is joy. There is calm. There is expectation. There is this deep knowing that God has been preparing me for this season for a very long time.

When Pressure Stretches Your Capacity

I have walked through enough hard seasons to know that pressure does not automatically mean something is wrong. Sometimes pressure simply means your capacity is being stretched because your assignment is getting bigger.

And thankfully, I do not carry it alone. God has allowed me to build a team around me that carries the work with me. We solve problems together. We make decisions together. We cover one another. We jump in where we are needed. Some days one person carries more and another day someone else does. That is what healthy leadership is supposed to become. Not one person holding everything. A group of people carrying the assignment together.

The Burdens Only God Can Carry

But even with a wonderful team, there are still places no employee can carry for me. There are decisions that ultimately belong to me. There are burdens that come with ownership. There are prayers only I know I am praying. There are moments when I am driving alone before sunrise asking God for wisdom before I walk through the doors. And in those places, Jesus sustains me.

Rest Is Part of Obedience

Today I stayed home. A Sabbath day. Pajamas. My Bible. No schedule. No rushing. No eyelashes. Just quiet. And I needed it.

Not because I am falling apart, but because I have learned that rest is not something you earn after you completely exhaust yourself. Rest is part of obedience too. There is something beautiful about realizing you do not have to prove your strength every minute of every day.

Knowing the Source of Your Strength

I am strong. I know that about myself. But I also know exactly where my strength comes from. There have been seasons of my life where I tried to muscle through everything. Work harder. Think harder. Push harder. Solve faster. Carry more.

Now my prayer is different. Lord, sustain me. Give me wisdom for today. Give me provision for what You have asked me to build. Give me the right people. Give me discernment. Give me patience. Give me strength when I am tired. And when something is too heavy for me, remind me that You never asked me to carry it without You.

God Is My Help

That picture hanging in my living room has become a daily reminder of something I never want to forget as the businesses grow. My help does not ultimately come from my experience. It does not come from revenue. It does not come from employees. It does not come from another strategy, another system, another spreadsheet, another meeting or another plan. Those things matter. But they are not my source.

God is my help. The Lord is the One who sustains me.

If You Are Carrying Something Big

Maybe you are carrying something big right now too. Maybe your assignment has grown faster than you expected. Maybe everyone around you thinks you have it completely together while privately you are asking God every morning for enough strength to do the next thing well.

You do not have to know how the entire season is going to unfold. You just have to remain faithful with today. Show up. Do the work God has put in front of you. Love the people He has entrusted to you. Make the decision you know to make. Ask for wisdom where you don’t know. Rest when He tells you to rest. And remember where your help comes from.

He Is the One Who Sustains It

I know I will not always be in this particular season. Seasons change. Problems change. Businesses change. Assignments change. But I pray one thing never does. That no matter how big God allows the assignment to become, I never become convinced that I am the one sustaining it.

Because I’m not. He is.

And today, sitting in my pajamas with my Bible open and that reminder hanging just a few feet away from me, I am deeply thankful that He is.

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” Psalm 54:4.

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