Dearly Beloved | Vol. 02
Dear Beloved,
Before I first heard God speak, “adorn the Beloved” in the quiet of my bedroom one November night in 2019, I felt lost amidst the unexpected success of a business I never saw myself creating. I was bustling between two babies under two and painfully navigating our parent business while growing Everyday Heirloom – and I was tired. Recently, my iPhone photos app kindly, or not-so-kindly, popped up with a memory from the very season I’m describing now. I didn’t recognize myself. In this photo, I’m crouched toward a laptop screen at the kitchen table with a toddler on my hip and a 1 year old in his highchair, just barely out of view. Scribbled sticky notes and dirty breakfast dishes surround me, my hair tossed and glasses askew. I was thin and pale. My first thought was to delete the photo. I included it here instead. I wished someone would've fed that girl a burger and tell her to take a nap, was my second thought.
From one tired mama to the other, I see you. You are loved.
Amidst a booming start-up, the late nights and early mornings, I was desperately seeking Him for a bigger answer as to why jewelry? If you’ve been here long enough, you know I struggled with the idea of starting a jewelry brand because my heart was just not there. Any difficult thing is made extraordinarily more so when there’s no vision (Proverbs 28:18). I never wore a lot of jewelry and the pieces I did wear were worn on repeat. Could I really be the girl who shares accessories when I don't wear them in excess myself? (Turns out, you don’t wear them in excess, either, and when it comes to jewelry you’re here for the lasting pieces that tell a deeper story that are worthy of everyday wear and worthy of passing on. I found my people.) The question went from, “God, why me? Why jewelry?” to, “Okay, God. You’re obviously in this. Show me why. I trust You.” This changed everything for me. I’d learned (and am still learning) that what doesn’t come naturally comes supernaturally by His grace alone. And jewelry wasn’t the “natural” thing for me to do. I was invited into it. It felt like, in so many ways, accidental. But nothing with God ever is. The earlier I came to this realization, the better. It wasn’t about me, but about Him. His glory. But how gracious of Him to invite me along as co-laborer and co-heir (1 Corinthians 3:9, Romans 8:17). Much of the friction I was experiencing came from my lack of trust and quite frankly, my lack of creative vision. Everything you see from our creative companies was God’s idea (the Holy Spirit is the best director). Thank you, Jesus, for giving us a hope and a vision for your Kingdom here on earth and that we get to partake of it and feast on your goodness when we all too quickly come to the end of ourselves and befriend our limitations as our fate.
My passion still isn’t about jewelry. There, I said it. But it’s better: My passion is not for jewelry but for the women who wear it. God gave me a vision for this brand, this calling, this mission that night I put my face to the floor and ear to the door of God’s heart, asking Him, what do you want from this? And to think – I almost gave up on Everyday Heirloom and even told Jake aloud in the early days, “This business will serve the purpose of getting us out of debt but after that, I’m ready to ditch it.” I write this now and cringe. My heart was focused on the earthly thing this business could do and I missed it for what it actually was: an invitation to our deeper reality as citizens of heaven, of seeing the kingdom come here and now, and living as God’s beloved Bride.
My heart was so obviously not in it and I was only interested in what this venture could do for me. But God has bigger plans. As Jake says, “God is the great multitasker.” Not only would this small business serve us manna but it would grow my faith and my marriage and grow an entire community of women through this one small, yes.” Even if that “yes” wasn’t a fully surrendered one at the time. God, in his infinite mercy, showed me what it could be. I would’ve given up before it got good.
Beloved, whatever season you are in, lean into God’s heart. Inquire of Him. Ask Him, “what do You want? I know you’re here. Show me.” I promise He’ll show up in beautiful ways you don’t even know how to ask for. But I know His Spirit will encourage you. Ask Him for a vision, a hope. He will take you up on it and infuse you with Hope today, and everyday.
With you in Belovedness,
Hannah
