Written by John Choquette, Volunteer Writer

Ask anyone who has been a Christian for some time and they will tell you that God’s timing is not always our own. For Patrick and Elizabeth, they found this out firsthand when a lifelong dream became a reality at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a structural engineer, Patrick always wanted to start his own firm. The industry was doing well at the end of 2019, and after praying about it together, Patrick and Elizabeth felt God telling them it was time.

Then everything changed.

“The night after I shared my plans with my boss was the first I heard about a potential global recession and how the pandemic could affect us as an industry,” Patrick said. “I started working for myself in early March 2020 and things were shut down within weeks from there.”

Despite the obvious challenges ahead, Patrick and Elizabeth knew that God had a purpose in his timing – to put their trust in him completely and be an example of his faithfulness.

“When you look at it from the world’s standards we were crazy,” Elizabeth said. “But just as God has a way of using the most unlikely people, he can use any situation to bring glory to his name.”

As he got his business up and running, contract work from Patrick’s old job gave them a steady income. Every time he needed work, God would come through, even at the last minute. Within 7 months, Patrick was entirely self-sufficient, earning the same salary as before independent of his former employer.

“It was cool to see God provide in a way that only he can,” Patrick said. It made them thankful for their church family and the community they’d found in Christ.

“Coming to The Summit Church was like a light bulb moment for me,” Patrick said. “Seeing people not only seek the Lord, but truly follow him was a culture we wanted to be a part of. Starting my own business was a chance to do just that.”

This year, Patrick and Elizabeth decided to tithe off of expected earnings, not just Patrick’s salary. It was another leap of faith they felt God asking from them.

“In a sense, we were putting our own comfort above God,” Elizabeth said. “Business was going well. This was the next logical step to show that we trust God not only with our generosity, but with our lives.”

Patrick and Elizabeth know that living in God’s will isn’t always comfortable or easy, but there’s no place they would rather be.

“Take risks. Put yourself in a position where you need to depend on God,” Patrick said. “That is more valuable than anything earthly security can provide.”