Growing in Faith: Our Small Business Testimony
There are seasons in life when faith is easy because it's just talk.
You write it into a mission statement. You put it in a business plan. You say things like “walk by faith” and “trust God” because they sound nice and look good on paper.
And then there are seasons when faith is the only thing holding you together.
That is the season we have been living in for the past few months now.
A couple of days ago, while attending the Wilkes-Barre Chamber and Wilkes University SBDC’s Launch It, Grow It, and Sustain It! event at the THINK Center, I realized just how much my perspective has changed over the past few years.
Preparing a short bio after being invited to sit on this event's panel unexpectedly forced me to reflect on what Back Mountain Microgreens has truly become.
A, "What are we really doing here?" kind of moment.
Somewhere in the middle of all the uncertainty, exhaustion, prayer, and growth, our mission came to me and Luke pretty easily:
Grow faith. Serve people. Reimagine food.
Simple words.
Years in the making.
Real Faith in Business
Back Mountain Microgreens started as Luke’s side business because we knew we needed to build something. Of all the possibilities, microgreens were the one thing we both agreed on.
Over time, what started as a small side hustle slowly became something bigger. Big enough that we made what now feels like a wildly risky decision: I left my job so we could build this business together full time.
We believed that if this business was ever going to become more than a side gig, it would require both of us — our different strengths, perspectives, and abilities — working side by side.
We had savings.
We had determination.
We had “a plan.”
Looking back now, I can honestly laugh and say: we absolutely did not have a plan.
At least not one that could have prepared us for what was ahead.
I assumed the transition from living on savings to fully living on business income would happen gradually and smoothly over time.
It did not—even while sticking to our budget.
Life happened. Expenses happened. Growth happened. Delays happened. Stress happened.
Our financial safety net lasted much longer than expected, but when it finally ran out a few months ago, faith stopped being an encouraging concept and became something we had to actively live out every day.
From the beginning, we always said we wanted to operate our business in faith.
But it's much easier to “walk by faith” when there's still money in the bank.
As our savings slowly disappeared, so did my sense of control.
I’m a numbers gal, and let me tell you: faith is a completely different experience when you genuinely do not know where the money is going to come from to cover the bills.
The Kind of Prayer That Changes You
We had a really rotten streak of plateaued sales, we made some really stupid choices, savings were dwindling, and the outlook was bleak!
Not that we hadn't been praying the whole time, but the phrase “pray without ceasing” means something entirely different to me now because we live it every day.
Luke and I pray constantly.
At the table.
In the car.
On the floor in front of our bed.
While driving.
Late at night when neither of us can sleep.
Every prayer over the past few months has come from somewhere deeper in my soul than I knew existed.
Recently, I genuinely don't know if we are going to have enough on budget day.
But somehow, month after month, I find myself telling Luke the same thing:
“We can make it another month.”
Not abundance.
Not luxury.
Not excess.
Provision.
Exactly what we need.
Sometimes within dollars.
This kind of provision has left me staring at the computer screen in tears on more than one occasion, because it's impossible to pretend we are doing this entirely on our own.
Our financial safety net disappeared, and the growth we've seen since has been overwhelming in the best possible way.
Doors have opened.
Opportunities have appeared.
Customers have shown up at exactly the right moments.
Support has come from places we never expected.
And none of it makes any sense on paper.
Entrepreneurship Is Messy
One of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship is realizing there is no “safe” version of this kind of life.
There is no white picket fence version of building something from nothing.
It's hope and fear.
Faith and anxiety.
Exhaustion and gratitude.
Stress and peace.
Sometimes all at the same time.
And somehow, God meets us right in the middle of it all when we're in the thick of it.
That has changed me more for the better than success ever could.
Success does not bring peace
Ironically, one of the strangest parts of this season is that the business is growing like crazy.
Booming, honestly.
Which is what we prayed for!
So you would think that would bring some peace.
Instead, it feels exciting, overwhelming, awesome, and terrifying... all at once!
We suddenly need:
- More space.
- Bigger equipment.
- More infrastructure.
- Better systems.
- More capacity.
To put it simply, we're vulnerable.
Everything came at us so quickly and now part of me is waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under us.
We're just trying to faithfully steward what God is doing here while we figure out this new puzzle in real time.
Why I’m Sharing This
For a long time, Luke and I prayed that God would use our lives to point people toward faith in Jesus Christ.
I used to think that meant we would someday have one huge, dramatic testimony — something impossible to explain apart from God.
But I’m beginning to realize the testimony is happening right now, in smaller bits and pieces.
The past few weeks and months are a testimony.
The provision.
The timing.
The growth.
The endurance.
The opportunities.
The people showing up exactly when we need them.
The fact that Back Mountain Microgreens keeps moving forward despite all the reasons it shouldn’t.
What has been happening here recently feels miraculous to me.
And I believe there is still more to come.
That is why I felt led to share all of this while we're in the middle of the story — while we are still praying, still waiting, still working, still hoping, and still trusting God day by day.
Because faith is not passive.
Faith moves forward before everything feels secure.
My motivation
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father...” James 1:17 (NLT)
“My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
“What is impossible for people is possible with God.” Luke 18:27 (NLT)
This is not just a blog post.
These are my prayers.
This is my family’s testimony unfolding in real time.
And I truly believe what happens next will point people toward faith because there will never be a fully rational explanation for how this all came together.
For the Person Still Waiting and Praying
If you are in a season where you are desperately asking God for help, please hear this:
You are not alone.
We totally get it... much more so than I can possibly express here.
There were moments over the past few years when we've endured the physical tolls of having our spirits absolutely crushed.
But God never stopped showing up.
Not early, not comfortably, rarely for both of us at the same time, but faithfully.
If you're in that place right now, this is our encouragement:
Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep going.
God hears you.
Continuing to Walk in Faith
Faith is not a branding strategy for us.
It's our everyday life now because there is no safety net any more and running a small business is risky!
And today, because of God’s provision and people like you, we have exactly what we need for right now.
So, thank you!
Thank you for reading this.
Thank you for praying for us.
Thank you for ordering from us.
Thank you for sharing our name with others.
Thank you for encouraging us when we needed it most.
Your support has become part of this testimony in ways you may never know.
If you would like to continue following our story, sign up to our newsletter for updates on what's happening here at Back Mountain Microgreens.
And if you would like to support our small family business, shop with us, share our story, or simply keep praying for us as we keep walking forward in faith.
♥️ Gail
