A monthly column in which Julita Kok shares on living adventurously with God
When I was asked to write these articles for Gateway, I did not know what the theme would be? I am currently in the music industry and I do live music events. This is what I am known for. I also travel the world to wherever God sends me.
As I am writing this morning, I am sitting right next to the mighty Zambezi River with a crocodile swimming right here in front of me. I am on a missions trip spreading the Gospel of Good News. But in order for you to understand who I am (if you are to read my stories every month), I need to start from the beginning.
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I did not start out in the music industry and my life was not easy. I went through a divorce at the age of only 24 and a mother of two. I was still a kid in a grown-up world with grown-up responsibilities. But I was not alone. I always had God. And I want to share some of my experiences with you. Being a single mother, income is of the utmost importance. Let me explain what happened during that first year after my divorce.
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After my divorce I struggled financially for some time and then found a permanent job, for which I was very thankful. However, I was only there for one year when the company closed down. I was devastated. That evening, after receiving the news that we were all laid off with immediate effect, I cried before God: “Lord, I am only now getting back on my feet… what on earth am I going to do now?” And I cried out, “Holy Spirit… show me what to do!”
Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. No voice came down from Heaven; no money fell from the sky…..Just nothing!!! But the next morning, when I woke up, I suddenly had an absolutely wild idea. Now, please remember, I am a musician and singer, I studied law for three years, which I did not complete, and I am a woman, a single mother of two. So, this wild idea had to have been from God. When I woke up that morning, I remembered that the man I had been working for, the one who let the whole office go, owned a lot of properties. I also remembered that he had said one of his flats needed to be painted. So, I phoned his other office (he was an attorney with multiple businesses) and made an appointment to see him that day.
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I prayed and I said: “Lord, You need to help me walk into that office with authority and self confidence which I certainly do not feel at all. But I need You Lord, to please help me.”
That afternoon, I walked into his office and with much respect told him that I was a single mother with two kids, and, because of him closing the business, I now had no income. I was there now, to ask for an opportunity to be able to provide for my children. He looked at me, not offended at all, and just said: “I am listening.”
So, I asked him to give me an opportunity to quote on the painting of his empty flat. He looked at me with absolute surprise in his eyes and then laughingly said: “You have no experience, and you are a woman.”
I answered very self confidently: “All I am asking is for an opportunity to quote.”
He quietly looked at me, obviously weighing options in his mind and then he leaned forward and said: “I will arrange for the flat to be opened to you and I want a quotation on my table tomorrow afternoon.”
I thanked him and calmly walked out with my heart bouncing up and down on the inside of me, but he never knew. I nearly fainted when I reached my car. I prayed and I said: “Lord, this is Your idea! What now?”
So, I went straight to the hardware store not far from my home and I explained the situation to the owner, a perfect stranger. This man looked at me and said: “If you do exactly what I tell you, you can do this!”
God sent me an angel right there and then. He explained how painting works. He said that I had to feel the walls to know what kind of paint is on the walls. He explained about PVA and enamel. He gave me a measuring tape and told me how to measure the walls. I had to come back with information on all of this. There were no cell phones in those years, so I could not quickly take pictures or phone him when I got stuck. I had to remember exactly what he had said, as I only had this one chance.
The flat was unlocked to me, and I did exactly what the hardware store man said. I went back to him with all this information and then he taught me everything I needed to know in order to paint a flat. All the different brushes, paint, cloths, turpentine, a ladder, masking tape and everything else. He showed me how to do a quote and he also said that he would give me a 25% discount on everything I bought from him, but that I was not to give that discount to my client. He taught me about business right there and then. He told me how to work out labour costs and what to pay such a labourer and I went home to do the quote.
The next day that quote was on the attorney’s table. I received a call from his secretary later that day. The job was mine and a deposit of 50% would be paid into my account. I jumped up and down, praising God for this opportunity. I rushed over to the hardware store guy, and he just laughed and laughed at my excitement. He then told me where to go to pick up a proper painter and I stood there that morning with an option of about 25 painters, not knowing who to choose. Again, I just said: “Lord! Help!” and He showed me a guy. This gentleman started working for me that day and neither of us knew then that a long working relationship was born.
I made R550 profit on that flat and the attorney was so impressed with the work I did, he gave me another two flats to paint. I ended up starting a new company, J’s Maintenance, and I even built speculation houses later on. Three at a time. Me! A woman with no experience. God put people next to me and I had an electrician, a plumber and a painter on full-time staff and many freelancers working on my projects. I had contracts with companies to do the maintenance of their buildings and I learned how to quote and negotiate discounts and I learned about equipment and steelworks, plumbing, electricity, building houses and fixing things and everything that goes with that. I had 12 people working for me permanently within 12 months.
The Word states in Romans 8 that everything works together for our good and I believed it then and I believe it now. Having lost my job was the best thing that could ever happen. Did not feel like it at the time, but knowing and trusting God to work all things for my good, it sure was the best thing ever. It brought me to a place of trusting God and not trusting on receiving a salary; going beyond my comfort zone and venturing into new areas, trusting others to give me advice and trusting the expertise of others and working in a team. Plus, I was able to provide my children with a safe environment and to support them financially without having to wait on others to provide for us.
It went so well with the maintenance work, that I was able to open a beautiful, 62-seater coffee shop. Something I had always dreamt about. I continued with the maintenance work.
My sister worked in the coffee shop during the day, and after my maintenance job was done for the day, I took over in the coffee shop and worked there at night. I learned such a lot from this business, and I knew I never wanted to work for a boss ever again. I wanted to do business. The attorney, who let me go, stayed my client until I sold my maintenance business a few years later to a gentleman God told me to.
I have learned from those early days that not everything comes easily. And you do not have to be qualified always. God makes a way where there seems to be no way. God always asks me this one question….”What is in your hands, Julita”? What is in your hands!! And we all have something in our hands. It might not seem like much to you, but you are dealing with a God who has no limitaions. He can multiply whatever is in your hands…..FAR AND ABOVE YOU YOURSELF CAN EVER THINK OR DREAM EVEN. This is Who I trust in. Not my own abilities even, but that He is capable to work through me and together we will do wonders. And since that time many years ago (more than 30 years now), we have been doing wonders together.
And let me tell you! I am nothing special and I am not His only blue-eye girl!! He does this for anyone who dares to trust Him and take Him on His Word. That business many years ago, taught me BUSINESS. Never knowing that one day, I would have to understand business in the future world I would be living in. This God of ours is magnificent. Trust Him to know what is best for you. And when He takes you outside of who you think you are (me, a female musician having to do maintenace work and construction….really!!), keep on trusting Him. The construction world taught me teamwork and business. Something I now use every single day of my life.
I simply love Him. Oh, how I love Him. All things are possible through Him who strenghens us. Believe it!!
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