About 15 years ago, we sold our restaurant business. We sold it on a land contract. We were living off the payments we received each month. About a year went by and I was watching the news. They had breaking news that a popular family diner was burning out of control. My eyes and mouth opened wide when they said the name of the restaurant. I was deeply upset it was our restaurant, my husband was out of the country.
The next morning I called our insurance agent, I said I saw the news our restaurant burned down, can I have a copy of the insurance policy? He replied you are not insured with us, the new owners switched companies.
I am still thinking well it will be alright, the lawyer made them sign papers saying that they will name us as loss payees, in case something happens. Well they they did not name us anywhere. We were never notified of them switching insurance companies also.
This ended up in the courts, it was proven that it was arson. They pleaded no contest and they left the country. Because it was arson the insurance refused to pay. We were not on there insurance as loss payees and we lost everything. We took the small down payment they gave us and bought another restaurant. We rushed to get back in business to generate some income. It was a bad move, within a week I knew we made a mistake, I called a real estate broker and put it up for sale.
We tried everything to make it a success, we had been in the restaurant business for 20 years, nothing worked. Our two teenage children were now helping us, they came after school and stayed until 11pm every single day. Our youngest twelve year old would come and clean tables. My husband and I worked from 5 am to 11pm seven days a week. We could not afford help.
This routine went on for 6 months, one day a former partner of ours called and asked if my husband would be interested in a partnership in his restaurant. His restaurant was a success, but how could my husband accept his offer? We were all so very tired and depressed and now a good opportunity comes. We have no money to put down and we are stuck in this loser restaurant.
The next day I tell my husband that he must go with his former partner and become a partner. He looked at me like I was really out of my mind. He said, where will we get thirty five thousand dollars for the down payment and what about our restaurant. I told him if there is a will there is a way. I took 35.000.00 from my credit card, and I told him to go and I would take over the kitchen. My children and I ran the restaurant as best as we could. The whole family was depressed and worn out.
Every week the real estate broker brought a possible buyer, there was no takers. They would ask the usual questions, what do you gross how many employees etc, I felt doomed. No one would buy this restaurant. How long could we go on like this. We slept an average of 4 to 5 hours a day. I felt like a bad parent, my kids were helping me. I would walk into the walk in frig and cry in silence. I could not let my family know how bad my mind and body felt. The extra money my husband was making was paying the credit card and our house payment.
This is where my spiritual experience comes in. All my life I have always put my hand out to anyone who needed me. I had a very hard childhood, nothing ever came easy. I have a very caring, forgiving nature. My children are what I live for. When I was in need of help in this loser restaurant no one came to offer help.
One Sunday afternoon I decided to go home and get a quick shower, before dinner time started. We lived about 4 miles away. On my way back to the restaurant I passed this church. I passed it many times before, I would say a small prayer as I drove by. On this particular Sunday afternoon, I was very distraught about our situation. I kept saying to myself, God what have I done to deserve so much pain and suffering.
My family is good, loving, and generous why are you doing this to us? I am thinking this the entire time I am driving back to work. I am at a stop light and I feel an over whelming feeling of love and happiness. This feeling came out of nowhere. Never before in my life have I felt such euphoria. I knew it was something not of this earth, it was from god. I finally said to the spirit, I can not see you, but I feel you. What are you? I felt engulfed in happiness. I kept looking in the back seat of my car, I could not see anything. It was there for at least 3 minutes. I even thought I was going to get in an accident and this was my guardian angel.
Well I get to the restaurant safely and I am still filled with overwhelming joy and a sense of relief. I looked at my daughter and told her what had just happened. I called my husband and told him also. I told my family it was a sign from god that everything will be alright. My husband laughed at me, hung up the phone and called me back five minute later, he said will you please repeat that story one more time.
Our listing with the broker had just ended, we did not renew. Ten days after my spiritual experience a tall handsome man walked into the restaurant. He handed me his card and said, I heard your restaurant is for sale. I replied yes it is. I looked at the card and it said Huntington bank, vice president. I asked him if he wanted to look at the kitchen, he replied no. He wanted to turn the restaurant into a drive through bank. Yes Huntington Bank bought it. After we sold it, I went to see my husband at the restaurant we bought with the former partner. It was Sunday morning, that restaurant was 40 miles from the loser restaurant. I walked in and the vice president of Huntington bank was eating there with his family.
I walked over and greeted them, I asked him how he happened to be here, Did you know we owned it? He replied, NO, that his church is around the corner and he lives a few blocks away. I have told many people this story, I can tell most people think I was dreaming. Why do they find it so hard to believe? I know it was god, sending me a message that day in the car. I hope it gives someone hope out there.
Life is a mystery just like death, if you reach out and never give up, you will feel gods love. Never give up on life, its ours to enjoy.
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