More From Sheri Hathaway

Those days of unemployment were hard, but as I lived each day I kept watching for a new opportunity, always mindful that God cared about me and had a plan. “What’s your plan for me today?” I asked God each morning. One evening, I took my daughter’s place at her job cleaning an office building when she couldn’t go to work that night. While working, I met another cleaner who told me she cleans homes during the day and does very well at it. She said house cleaners were in high demand and recommended I start my own business; she even gave me some tips. Cleaning houses wasn’t something I ever thought of doing, and it was a blow to my pride to be serving other, more successful people, but I had no other plan so I advertised and left it in God’s hands.

I knew the work was a good fit for me. It was something I already knew how to do; it wasn’t specialized work I’d need training for or to pay for a course, and I could start anytime. I could set my own hours and even turn down a client if I didn’t feel comfortable working for them.

It only took a few days for someone to answer my ad and inquire about my cleaning her small condo. I started working for her on a bi-weekly basis. Then others trickled in, and within a month or two, I was working full-time, cleaning two homes each day. I stopped advertising, but sometimes a client would give my name to a friend since I had proved I could be trustworthy and do a good job. When the friend called me, I offered to put their name on a waiting list because I knew people’s situations would change. Some clients moved away, retired, or even lost their jobs just like me and had to let me go. Then I’d call someone on my waiting list. I thank God for leading me to the right employment for my needs. It helped me get out of debt and put money aside for any future emergency. Today, I’m retired and doing what I always wanted to spend my days doing, but earlier couldn’t trust it to support me financially—writing and painting watercolor art. I post new achievements on my website at www.sherihathaway.com.