Nearly fifteen years ago, I became a Certified Christian Life Coach. It took blood, sweat, and tears to remain focused while life around me kept doing what life does. Younger people refer to it as life-ing. Still, I thought romantically about how many people I would help when I hung my virtual “shingle” out there. Even though I could not fathom the excessive prices that my peers were charging, I knew I would charge regular prices for my services so that no one would break the bank.

As soon as I got my certificate, I framed it, shared it with others, and mentioned it in every conversation, but soon I understood that many people did not cotton to the idea that someone with a certificate in something that was a new concept to some, would think of “charging” money for a service that was, in their estimation.” iffy” at best. No one was interested. They wanted someone they “heard of,” not someone sitting in her makeshift office, just as qualified but not as famous.

I felt so defeated. The mentor who coached me was bringing in money by the truckloads, or so it seemed to me and would check with me occasionally to inquire about my truckload. I would speak to her in flat tones because each time I launched out into the deep with my published book(s), articles, and now with my coaching certificate, seems as if I was not taken seriously and would be asked smarmily, “Oh you want to PAY for that?” I wanted to scream, “Of course, I would like to be paid. I paid for publishing ( a price so high that I dropped behind in my rent) and my certification in coaching.

No bites, nibbles, or even mild interest, so along with my GED, community college degrees, minister’s license, and double certification in both Christian and regular (secular) coaching, my dreams of helping others came to a screeching halt. I put everything away and came to grips with the idea that I had failed miserably.

Lately, however, God has been throwing me into an arena of people asking for my services. Questions like, “Zee, didn’t you study to be a life coach?” or “Didn’t you counsel women and help to rehabilitate them as they were returning from prison?” and the answer to those questions and more is “Absolutely, and Yes.”

Now have come the clients. Only three right now, and yes, I get paid, but not by the truckload. God has me on a fixed income of donations, and my cash app is busier than ever! Am I coming up to millionaire status? Not anytime soon, but then, I am satisfied that God is doing what God does.

Proverbs 11:25 (KJV) tells us that A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Other versions say that He who waters will also be watered, and so on.

For me, it means that in God’s timing, whatever we have given freely will come back to us in ways we never expected. Sure, many have prospered monetarily from sharing their God-given talents. Still, God has continued to bless me, sometimes more abundantly, throughout my lean times and kept me not only afloat but sailing the friendly seas of favor and blessing with what some would refer to as “little things.”

I am thankful for God’s gifts of creativity and for His endless provision. My door has been opened more expensively, and I am happy to help as many as possible. You should see me setting up appointments for virtual consultations, being all professional and stuff! God is so good!