Trusting God Through Disability and Business Growth

May 13

When Life Interrupts Your Plans

At the end of 2025, my husband Jarvis and I sat down to record a vision-focused episode for The Abiding CEO® Podcast. We were excited about the new year. We had goals, direction, ideas, and expectations for what 2026 would bring.

And honestly? I thought I knew how the year was going to start.

But shortly after that episode, everything changed.

What started as pain shooting down Jarvis’ leg escalated quickly into severe sciatica that left him bedridden for nearly two weeks and on short-term disability for 45 days.

Suddenly, life looked very different.

Instead of moving full speed ahead into the year, we found ourselves navigating doctor appointments, physical therapy sessions, sleepless nights, emotional exhaustion, financial concerns, and moments where I genuinely wondered if my husband would live with permanent disability.

As entrepreneurs, we often think we can plan our way through life. We cast vision. We organize. We prepare. We lead.

But sometimes God allows interruptions that force us to slow down and remember what truly matters.

And this season reminded me of that deeply.

Your Body Carries the Assignment God Gave You

One of the biggest revelations that came from this season was realizing how easy it is to neglect the body while trying to fulfill the calling.

As believers, we can become so spiritually focused that we unintentionally ignore our physical health. We normalize exhaustion. We glorify overworking. We dismiss stress, lack of sleep, and burnout as “just part of leadership.”

But eventually, the body speaks.

And sometimes it screams.

Jarvis openly shared during the episode that years of long hours, chronic stress, poor sleep, and constantly pushing through eventually caught up with him physically. What began as discomfort became a full physical shutdown.

And while we absolutely believe in prayer, healing, and spiritual warfare, this season also confronted us with something practical:

Stewardship matters.

You cannot continuously neglect your body and expect it to function without consequence.

I remember reflecting during this season on how many times believers blame the enemy for burnout while overlooking the physical habits contributing to it. At some point, we have to acknowledge that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

If we do not care for it, we limit our ability to sustain the assignment God has entrusted to us.

Your body is not separate from your purpose.
It carries your purpose.

And sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is rest, recover, sleep, nourish yourself properly, and slow down long enough to heal.

What This Season Revealed About Marriage, Family, and Community

One of the hardest parts of this season was watching my husband go from highly active and involved to suddenly needing help with basic daily tasks.

As a wife, there were moments that broke my heart.

There were moments where fear tried to creep in.

And there were moments where both of us wondered what the future would look like if things did not improve.

But in the middle of all of it, I watched something beautiful happen.

Our family came together.

Our children stepped up without complaining. They helped around the house, cared for their dad, and adjusted in ways that showed incredible maturity and compassion. Friends prayed for us. People from church checked in. Meals were brought. Encouragement was sent.

And I watched my husband experience something powerful: receiving love when he felt most vulnerable.

I think difficult seasons reveal the true condition of relationships.

Pressure exposes cracks, yes. But it can also deepen trust, humility, intimacy, and dependence on God.

One of the moments that stayed with me most was hearing Jarvis describe how God loved him through his family during this season.

That perspective shifted everything.

Because sometimes God’s provision does not show up as immediate healing.

Sometimes it shows up through people who stay.

Learning to Abide Through Fear Instead of Spiraling

During the long hours he spent alone at home, Jarvis shared that anxiety began creeping in.

Fear whispered questions about the future.

What if this never gets better?
What if I can’t work again?
What if surgery becomes necessary?
What happens to our family?
What happens to the business?

And honestly, I think many entrepreneurs understand this kind of mental battle.

When life suddenly changes, fear immediately tries to take over the narrative.

But what encouraged me most was hearing how Jarvis continually returned to truth instead of staying trapped in fear.

Scripture became an anchor.

“Be still and know that I am God.” - Psalm 46:10
“My grace is sufficient for you.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9
“In your weakness, He is strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:10

That does not mean the fear disappeared overnight.

It means we made a decision not to live inside it.

And that is what abiding really looks like.

Abiding is not pretending life is easy.
It is remaining connected to God even when life feels uncertain.

During this season, I kept thinking about Gideon and how God reduced the army yet still brought victory.

Because while I stepped away from podcasting for a season, while I carried additional responsibilities at home and at work, our business continued growing.

Our team stepped up beautifully.
God provided consistently.
And everything did not fall apart simply because we had to slow down.

That alone ministered to me deeply.

Because sometimes we secretly believe everything depends on us.

And God lovingly reminds us that it never did.

You Can Survive Difficult Seasons Without Losing Yourself

I know there are people reading this right now who are walking through unexpected hardship.

Maybe it is illness.
Maybe it is burnout.
Maybe it is grief, financial pressure, family strain, or emotional exhaustion.

And one thing I want you to know is this:

Hard seasons do not automatically destroy what God is building.

Sometimes they strengthen it.

This experience could have negatively impacted our marriage, our faith, our family, and our business. I can think of many situations where pressure like this causes people to spiral emotionally, relationally, or spiritually.

But we kept returning to one anchor:
our relationship with God.

Not perfection.
Not certainty.
Not control.

Trust.

We chose to believe that even though we could not see the full picture, God was still present in it.

And now, standing on the other side of this season, we can see the testimony that was forming while we were still living through the trial.

Final Truth

If you are in a difficult season right now, I want to remind you of something:

You do not have to pretend to be strong all the time.

You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to heal.
You are allowed to lean on people.
You are allowed to rest.
And you are allowed to trust God before you see the outcome.

Because abiding is not about having perfect circumstances.

It is about remaining connected to God through all of them.