God Knew Exactly What I Needed
Image Source: @sheisfreenyc
She Is Free 2019 was one of those amazing moments that I will remember forever in my heart. How did I get to play a part in this amazing conference? It was all God.
My husband and I quietly launch No Other Name online at the end of April this year without any fanfare. We didn’t throw a fancy launch party or have any flashy marketing because we simply didn’t have the budget for it. People who know me can tell you that I’m not good at that kind of thing— I can envision, design, and make things, but all the other things that go along with starting a business were completely foreign to me.
Let’s be honest: everything works out so well when it’s in my head, but the reality is that starting this brand has been like trying to steer this huge ship with no idea where it’s going. Honestly, if not for God, I really don’t know how I could keep No Other Name going. More than once, I questioned myself why I quit a stable and fun jewelry designer job to start my own brand. But the answer I always come back to is the love of God.
When I asked Him years ago to reveal to me the special talent and purpose He has given me so I could make a living from it and also serve Him at the same time, God proved that He is always faithful even when I’m not. He knows me more than I know myself. He never promised me it will be all easy, but He did promise me that He will be with me every step of the way.
Still, it’s been a huge challenge to say the least.
His Presence
Then, on an ordinary day full of unfinished tasks in early July, I received a surprising email from She Is Free inviting us to partner together because of our shared vision and values. After a few emails back and forth, I did my research and prayed. When I prayed, I felt peace from God to respond to this opportunity with excitement.
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I first came to the conference. As a vendor, I didn’t think I would actually be experiencing the entire conference for myself, but it was such a sweet treat that I was pretty much given the whole package to be a part of the conference from beginning to end! All the speakers spoke boldly and shared wisdom from God that totally gave me a new mindset.
God knew EXACTLY what I needed and I needed this three days conference more than anything. I needed to put my busy schedule aside to enjoy the presence of God. I needed the truth about God’s kingdom from all of the speakers. I needed to be reminded again what God has called me to do! Do it with boldness! Stop fixing my eyes on the problems and fix them on Jesus!
Pastor Andi is a faithful leader who listens to God fully and that was so inspiring to me! I love how she and her team created this safe place for people to worship God and invite the Holy Spirit to be present. I know how powerful it is to worship and experience God’s presence— it can purify people’s hearts, heal people’s pain and illnesses, and draw people out of this world and into God’s kingdom. It’s just so great! I used to worship God alone in my car and it was so wonderful that even when I arrived at my destination, I was reluctant to leave my car. That was my little safe, secret place between God and me. I could sing His praise and love for hours. At She is Free, I was amazed that this “safe, secret place” could actually happen with hundreds of people all together. We were all there longing for one thing: the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Another highlight of She Is Free was that I had the opportunity to explain the inspiration behind our jewelry design to everyone checking out our booth! One mother purchased the Fruit of Peace necklace from the Nine Fruit Collection for her daughter and later shared with me that her daughter was awarded the fruit of peace award last week at school because she encourages others to be kind to each other. I just loved moments like that.
Sharing Inspiration
Another mother picked necklaces of Joy, Love, and Kindness for her children, and she shared that her daughter’s teacher asked them to pick a fruit of the spirit to work on this year and her daughter pick the fruit of Joy. How awesome is that? I felt so blessed to have the privilege of listening to all the great stories behind why people were selecting each piece and why it was special to them! I was also able to share with them that the reason why I used raw gemstones for the necklace is because I believe we need to intentionally and continuously practice the fruits of spirit—a still unpolished, raw work in progress that takes effort to grow into something beautiful.
I’m truly honored to have played a part of this conference. It was such a blessing and joy to see how people desperately WANT Jesus in their life. I was also so encouraged whenever someone wanted to know about the inspiration behind our jewelry. Sharing my inspiration is truly one of my most joyful moments and seeing people select meaningful gifts for their loved ones because they want to give encouragement is just so fulfilling.
I shared about our story page with one woman who came by our booth and I told her how I hope it can bring encouragement to others when they read about how everyday people experience God. She asked me, “So, is this your ministry?” I honestly hadn’t thought about it that way, but I just knew this was so important to me. Reading or hearing people’s testimonies has always brought me encouragement, so I wanted to create a place where we could all share about the fingerprints of God in our lives; after all, our God is so real and He is there in our everyday moments. She offered to pray for me and I can’t thank her enough for that prayer! The path I chose is not easy but it’s filled with meaning and purpose, so her prayer just meant so much to me.
Last week was full of joy and challenges and I received far more than I ever expected. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness and knowing exactly what I need in every situation. And thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth just to say “Hi”, and for all of your kind words and support. Truly, you are all such a big encouragement to me.
With a heart of gratitude,
Youning C.