In MY VICTORY VOYAGE I’m sharing various trials I’ve faced and how God’s faithfulness has carried me through. Join me on the 2nd Friday of each month in 2025 as we reflect on His restoration and grace.
After 46 years of marriage, my husband and I have weathered many seasons together — raising children, navigating career changes, relocating across states, and all the ordinary joys and sorrows that life brings. But we had never worked together — not really — until this year, when we stepped into the unfamiliar territory of launching a business side by side.
What a surprise it has been!
I imagined we’d be a dream team. I know his strengths. He knows mine. We love each other deeply and have a long history of loyalty and support. What could go wrong?
As it turns out, merging marriage with a start-up is no small thing!
The reality of working together exposed a whole new layer of challenge in our relationship. Our differences became more glaring. Our communication styles clashed. I like plans, lists, and structure. He thrives in spontaneous bursts of creativity. I want clarity and timelines. He prefers brainstorming and vision casting. At times, I felt frustrated. At times, I’m sure I frustrated him.
There were moments when I silently wondered, Lord, did we make a mistake?
But it was in those raw, unguarded moments that God gently stepped in. Not with condemnation — but with invitation. An invitation to deeper grace. To slower responses. To less control and more trust. An invitation to love not just with comfort and warmth, but with courage and sacrifice.
We began to pray more intentionally — not just for our business, but for each other. I asked the Lord to help me see my husband through His eyes — not as a co-worker or business partner, but as the man I’ve loved for over four decades. The man He is still shaping. And I began to ask the Lord to shape me too.
I’ve come to see that this new chapter — though unexpected and sometimes uncomfortable — is actually a gift. It’s a sacred classroom. A proving ground for patience. A fresh invitation to humility. And surprisingly… it’s drawing us closer. Not just to each other, but to the Lord.
The Word says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). We are learning, day by day, what it means to help each other up — in business, in marriage, in faith. We are learning to honor one another above ourselves (Romans 12:10), to clothe our efforts in love (Colossians 3:14), and to cover each other’s shortcomings with grace (1 Peter 4:8).
This new chapter of love doesn’t look like the earlier days — giddy romance and youthful ease. It’s quieter, deeper, more intentional. And as hard as it’s been at times, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Because God is not just building a business through us. He’s building a testimony.
And our testimony is rooted in love — real, resilient, surrendered love — the kind that still says yes after 46 years, and by God’s grace, will keep saying yes in the chapters yet to come.
🎵 I Speak Jesus – Charity Gayle & Michael W. Smith (Live)
On the morning of this writing, we sang this song in worship… and today, we’ve witnessed a powerful shift — both in our family and in our work. I truly believe it’s because we’ve been speaking the name of Jesus over it all. If you need breakthrough, peace, or healing in your own life, let this song wash over you.
