By Sonia Wirya
Covid has been real for all of us. There is much to reflect on how God has been using this time to mold His children. Here is my take on how Covid had changed my life and my view of work.
Covid hit our family bad. We had to close down our family business of 20 years. This was a business which I gave my all to - restructuring after restructuring and many more. “Where did this add up to? What is the fruit of all those years? Have all that I’ve put in goes down the drain? What am I to do now?” Those were some questions haunting me shortly after the business closure.
But God is faithful, and God is good. The decision brought a certain lightness and relief to us as a family. We felt satisfied and God’s hand was truly evident. Not that everything was easy, but things simply flowed. We were grateful for the chance to steward this business along with the people, for this many years. We were able to pay what is due and see our employees “graduate”. And to help them also set foot on their next ventures.
I saw our employees give their all, to our very last days, as we “pack up”. And it was a feeling I can’t explain. Their dedication and spoken gratitude were a deep reward to us. Shortly after, there was also a social media thread of people (customers, employees and business partners) posting their fondest memories with us. To us, these were all evidence that what we poured into, has not gone to vain. An affirmation that we have done well and to our best ability. God was kind to answer my questions and doubts.
Through this process I have learned that everything will pass, and we must keep moving forward. When God moves us, no matter how uncertain it may be, follow. Because when we do, things work out for themselves - because God moves ahead. There was no extra lengthy analytical planning to our decision process this time. We simply prayed and waited and waited some more. And when we finally got the confirmation, we simply obeyed, and we proceeded. As simple as that.
We, as a family also experienced the value of corporate prayer, praying in unison and what it truly means to trust without overthinking. To leave the details to Him, and trust that He will reveal each step when we need to. I believe this was what made the process almost “effortless” and simple.
I also learned what it means to not hold things too tightly. God gives and God takes away. How we steward is of more concern to Him, because it is through that very process, He molds us. At the end of it all, God is more concerned about where we are with our journey and our character, rather than the physical fruits of the works He entrusted us with.
“At the end of it all, God is more concerned about where we are with our journey and our character, rather than the physical fruits of the works He entrusted us with. ”
Third, I began to really know, and see that everything is from God. This brought me a new perspective about how I see work. It brings a certain weight of responsibility in how I steward my existing ventures. As well as a certain lightness, and ease - because work becomes less of a burden and more of a journey. Work becomes a vehicle to mold me into a more Christ-like character. It shifts my perspective on how I see my relationship with work. It’s no longer about how much I achieve at work, and rather about where I am, character wise. How much I have changed and allowed the frictions and challenges at work to mold me to better character. I am now able to freely thrive rather than strive.
There is more to say, and I have surely learned a lot from this particular experience.
Today, I run two small scale businesses, with a much smaller team. We pivoted and took what we could from our previous business. In addition, God had also given me an opportunity to revisit some long-buried passion, and to start a new venture, in that new industry.
Where am I right now? I could have not been happier, more joyful and at ease. I am enjoying this new work-life balance. And I finally have the time to discover myself, to live and to bask in all that God has and is giving me. Honestly, I first feared that I would greatly struggle with my sense of identity. Because I used to put a lot of my identity in work - in who I am at work, how big my team is, how big our projects were, who my business networks are. But turns out, there is more to me than that. And God values me for who I am. It has been a humbling experience, a lot of internal refining, It hurts sometimes but it is also freeing at the same time. God has been good to me.
So now, my prayer for you is, that whatever or wherever God may be calling you, trust the process and yield fully to the process and into Him. Things would be less painful when there is less restraint from our side. Take your time, wrestle it out before God. And when you’re ready, surrender and yield. Take heart friend, for the journey and the process is worth the reward!
Sonia Wirya is a Jakarta Cohort Alumni who continues to support the work of Resource Global by being a Triad Leader for the 2021 Cohort.