When God Takes Over
Years ago, when I opened my private practice, I prayed over the name. I wanted it to point to Christ in an unobtrusive way while sharing the vision of helping women fully embrace who they were created to be. I brainstormed a list of names: She Rises, Rising Soul, Rising Strong…You get the picture. Lots of Rising happening.
Once I knew I had it, I did all the things. Applied for the license, registered the names, applied for trademarks, designed my brand, printed signs, yada yada. I never looked back.
Until I received a call one day from the director of a very LARGE and well-established company in my town. The woman said she was “just doing a courtesy call” to let me know that they had decided to rebrand, and ironically (insert nervous laughter) the name they had selected….was the same as mine.
I didn’t say much at first (mostly because it’s hard to talk with your heart caught in your throat), but once I gathered myself, I said I didn’t understand. I politely explained that I’d done all the things. Step one of registering a company is, after all, researching to be certain the name wasn’t already being used.
She told me that she could understand my “concerns” but that while they hadn’t registered the name yet, they had printed thousands of flyers that would be handed out at the upcoming NFL game in two weeks. (Did I mentioned they were financially backed by this team?)
We agreed to talk again the following week, and I felt nauseous as I hung up and got very little sleep that night. Instead, I seeped in my thoughts:
“This is awful.”
“They can’t do this.”
“There’s no way I can go up against a company this big.”
“I’ll never win.”
The problem with fear and attempting to control things is that
negative emotions never drive positive action or gain positive results.
The next morning, a coworker came to me and shyly told me she felt weird sharing, but that when she read her devotions that morning, she felt strongly that she was to share it with me, but didn’t know why. It was the story of Gideon. Know the story? He had a small army and a large battle to fight. I imagine him pausing to remove his heart from his throat before asking God how he could possibly overcome his circumstances.
That night, I curled up with my Bible & a cup of tea and got a mental makeover. Not only did God tell Gideon He’d win the battle for him, He actually increased the challenge so Gideon couldn’t question whether it was God‘s “impossible” win. I laughed out loud when I read the word God used to send him off “ARISE”. I felt an assurance settle over me that night and in the week that followed.
My thoughts turned from victim to victor. The old crippling thoughts were replaced with
“God’s got this.”
“I’m going to see Him at work here.”
“I’m not alone.”
“He’s a God of the possible.”
“All things are possible with Him.”
Sure I had moments where my pulse quickened and the old thoughts popped up. But I ran back to the Lord each time, and found belief again. (And I swear every day’s devotions that week had the Word “Rise” or “Arise” in it!)
I did more homework in preparation, trusting in what God had shown me. When I answered the phone a week later, I was surprised to hear not just the director announce herself, but an additional five voices including their attorney. For thirty minutes, he attempted to intimidate me. I calmly stated that while I empathized with their predicament, the state prohibits companies from using the names of businesses already established in the same city and/or industry because it causes confusion for potential clients. I explained that as a sole-proprietor, I’d spent a lot of time, energy & resources selecting and registering my name. And then I politely concluded that it was for all of those reasons that I ask that they continue searching for a new name that was not already registered by an existing business.
The silence was palpable. They thanked me for my time and ended the call. Although they gave me no indication of their decision, I felt at peace. Two months later, I ran into a therapist who works for their business and learned that they returned to the drawing board and had registered a new name. One which was very different than mine.
So often, we try to fight our battles alone, failing to draw on God’s strength that’s available to us all. We worry about our
circumstances and ruminate on all the possible bad outcomes. As a result, we either get stuck in inaction, or we jump blindly into action-attempting to beat the odds. But the reality is that negative emotions never create positive actions or results.
The next time you’re up against an army, remember who’s leading yours. Take the time to get in the right headspace before taking action, to ensure that your actions are coming from the right emotion
Acting in fear will create a mess. Acting in belief brings new confidence. Here’s what my aligned model looked like (thanks to that friend who shared her heart when she felt God pressing her to!)
Circumstance: Local firm is planning to market using my business name
Thought: “God’s won bigger battles; He’s got this.”
Feeling: Confident (in Him!)
Action: Pray, research, show up kindly & assertively
Result: I let God take over and get to see Him at work.
(My brain then takes this result as “proof” of my original thought, strengthening my belief that God is bigger than anything that comes up against me.)
The next time you’re up against an army, remember who’s leading yours. Take the time to get in the right headspace before taking action, to ensure that your actions are coming from the right emotion
Need a mental makeover?
If you’re tired of worrying and overthinking things, I can help you with that! Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation call with me and I’ll show you how coaching can help you step into the life you were created for.