Hold Me Together

“He is the head of all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 

Phase 1 - A year and a half ago my friend, Kelly Block, and I started a simple jewelry line called “Laminin by Missy Robertson”. Our goal at that time was to create pretty pieces of jewelry and employ people just like we once were – moms who needed income but wanted to be with their children when they were not in school. So, Kelly designed a few pieces and put them in her boutique that she owns in West Monroe and on my website so that we could see if shoppers would be interested in them. A few weeks later, Reagan, one of Kelly’s employees, ended up in the windowless, rear stock room of the shop putting these pieces together all day long every single day! She was doing all she could to keep up with the demand. Reagan definitely needed some help. (And this was with zero advertising!) Obviously, we had a hit on our hands.

Phase 2 - Have you ever looked around at the newer relationships in your life and thought I don’t know how we ended up crossing paths, but I’m so glad we did ? That brings me to Lindsey. She is an ex-cop from the West Monroe Police Department who started an organization that rescues women and children from the sex trafficking industry. It also helps in the recovery and rehabilitation process so that these women can transition back into normal society. Part of this process is finding and sustaining employment. Lindsey had two women ready for this step in their lives. Well, hello! I think I might know of something.

Phase 3 – Prayer for this new endeavor. Since we can’t cram two more people into that back closet with Reagan, we start searching for a place. In the meantime, my grandmother has been moved out of her house and into a nursing home. This house, full of 94 years of living, is sitting empty, never to see my grandmother return. I drive by it multiple times a week since it is in a high traffic location. Hmmmm, what should we do with that house? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Phase 4 – My dad, an only child, is ecstatic when I ask him if I can use the house for making jewelry. We clean it out, have an estate sale and get it ready for these women to make the jewelry. It’s safe, clean, comfortable, and has a beautiful view of a pond right in the back yard. We are even able to offer a place of residence there for a single girl with no home. What an answer to prayer! I call Miss Kay and ask her if any of her “muffins” (a ladies Bible study group that she currently mentors) are in need of a job. These women include victims of sex trafficking and homelessness, recovered addicts of drugs and alcohol, single mothers and women who are seeking a new purpose. She immediately rattled off six names to me and told me she would call them. All eight of these ladies (two from Project 41 and six of Miss Kay’s “muffins”) came to our first orientation. Along with Reagan and Brandi, our newly hired office manager, we had ten Laminin employees and were ready to rock and roll!

Phase 5 – These ladies have made themselves at home at “The Laminin House”. They got to know each other, cooked for each other, laughed and hugged every single day while working together making beautiful jewelry. Two weeks later, it started raining and didn’t stop until our town took in over 24 inches of water. That water filled up that beautiful back yard pond and flowed around the house into the front yard until there was no where else to go but inside. We were washed out. Destroyed. Kicked in the face.

Phase 6 – We move our entire inventory, office furniture, computers and women to a small room on the second floor of our church. AND we hire 11 more women! Yep, we have 21 employees all working in one small classroom to get our orders out. It’s not ideal.

Why, God? What is my next phase!? You know what I’m learning about all these phases? They’re my phases. Not God’s. Nothing that has happened in all of this has surprised God. Nothing. He knew the whole time. He also knows what will happen next. And I have to trust Him completely.

It’s all in our name – Laminin. What is Laminin? Stay with me for a minute: It’s a protein molecule in our bodies (we have thousands and thousands of them) that hold our cells together. Magnified under a microscope, you will see that this molecule is in the shape of the cross! Coincidence? I think not! “In Him all things hold together.” Trust me, Missy. I’ll hold it together. Not you. Me.

I don’t know what the next phase holds. I really don’t. And I’m okay with that, because God is holding onto me. It’s been beautiful to watch God work. And in all of this uncertainty….

I am excited to say, “Laminin by Missy Robertson has officially launched!”

Find out more about Laminin by Missy Robertson on our website. http://laminindesigns.com

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