Recently I had the opportunity to hear John Rivers, founder of 4 Rivers Smokehouse, speak at a CLC event. CLC is a Christian men’s group, and I’ll explain why I was there at the end of this article. But, first …

Though I hadn’t met John Rivers before, I was familiar with his amazing entrepreneurial story. I was expecting to hear an uplifting message that combined faith and business, so as John was being introduced, I settled back, prepared to be entertained.

Then he began speaking. I leaned forward and grabbed my phone to take notes.

His theme was perseverance. He talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the restaurant industry and how his company responded in the early days of the lockdown. What he asked God at the time, and what he encourages us to ask God all the time, is:

Not, “Why are You doing this?” but

“What are You trying to teach me?”

You’ll hear a lot of voices; be sure the one you’re listening to is God’s.

John Rivers, 4 Rivers Smokehouse

John Rivers

Often, he said, what’s stopping us can be the vehicle for movement. “The obstacle we face becomes the means to overcome the obstacle,” he said. “What stands in the way becomes the way.”

As crazy as it sounds, for the restaurants across Florida in the 4 Rivers chain, the pandemic itself provided the means to overcome the crushing impact of the pandemic. It wasn’t business as usual—it quickly moved to business as better.

The company added virtual drive-thrus and expanded delivery. The creation of 4R Grocery helped customers acquire scarce supplies (in particular, toilet paper).

Through his nonprofit 4Roots, John led Feed the Need Florida, a public/private collaboration launched in late March 2020 in direct response to the pandemic. Feed the Need Florida has served more than 1.7 million meals to children and families, created hundreds of jobs, and rescued more than 617,284 pounds of produce that would have gone to waste.

All of this was done because everyone on the 4 Rivers team is encouraged to ask, “What if?”

John said business leaders need to let God write their business plans. “Set yourself to a purpose and let God ordain how to do it,” he said.

He made these final four points:

  • The willingness to stand apart is a requirement to the ability to stand above.
  • If you’ve yet to fail, you’ve yet to try something worthy of your effort.
  • Faith is the embrace of uncertainty.
  • If your dream doesn’t require a miracle, you aren’t dreaming big enough.

Dream big—and never give up!

So what was I doing at a Christian men’s gathering? CLC is an international organization that facilitates small groups of men who are committed believers desiring a deeper relationship with Christ and each other. Jerry and I believe in and support that mission. The host of this gathering was CLC’s Central Florida area director, our dear friend Mark Goldstein, who invited us (Jerry wasn’t able to attend). Please visit CLC’s website to learn more about this life-changing ministry.

Jacquelyn Lynn
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