One Drop at a Time

The first time I heard Joyce, I was at my grandmother’s house in Bay City, Michigan. I was 8 years old, and I heard this strange voice on the radio. It was the first time I was ever captivated by someone teaching the Bible. Then in my early 20s, I started hearing her on the radio again. She was popping up everywhere and her teachings were so impactful. It just became apparent that the Lord was leading me to grow with Joyce Meyer Ministries.

By the time I was 22, I had achieved what I then thought of as the pinnacle of success. I had been working as an investment banker in New York City, the highest paying gig in the real estate industry…but it wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed all the luxuries of life. Limos to and from work, going to the greatest concerts. I could fly people in and do all this fun stuff. But I realized that it was futile. Nothing satisfied me. Not money. Nothing. And that’s when I really leaned in and got closer to Christ.

So, with no job leads, I moved back to Michigan and started making phone calls until I landed a job with a medical HMO. The pay was pitiful, but I was able to rent a single-bedroom apartment where I set up a little office for myself. And I was spending a lot of time in the Word and listening to Joyce’s messages. I even taped a picture of Joyce and Dave to my desk because they were so impactful.

That’s when I became an official partner…around the year 2000. I didn’t even know what partnering really meant. I just knew that I wanted to give something back to a ministry that had put so much into my life. So, I started at $25 a month and I put it on automatic withdrawal, because I knew that if I didn’t do that, maybe I wouldn’t give at all. So, I put it on automatic payment and just kept giving.

During those years while I was in that one-bedroom apartment, the Lord revealed to me my true purpose and my true passion. I turned off my cable TV and said, “All right, Lord. What do You want me to do with my life?” And He started talking to me about how I handled my time…what I was thinking about…my true worth and value as a person. And I developed the boldness to say to myself: If I don’t do what the Lord has called me to do, then look at all the dreams, goals, and blessings that I’m probably forfeiting.

When I felt overwhelmed by the goals and desires that God gave me, He encouraged me by saying: The ocean ain’t nothing but a whole bunch of little drops, Amin. And so, every day, I started taking one drop at a time whether it was a prayer, an act of gratitude, an email that said, “Thank you.” Just one drop at a time…and He turned it into an ocean.

Today, I am a very happy husband, father, business owner, and entrepreneur. And I’ve found my true purpose and passion is helping people. In my opinion, a successful entrepreneur has helping at the forefront of their mind. It’s not making $1 million. It’s not being known and recognized. The heart of a good business is servitude, being able to help meet the needs of others.

As a business owner and entrepreneur, it’s my fiduciary responsibility to ensure that I’m sowing on fertile ground. And part of the way I do that is by looking at the fruit, and how transparent ministries are with money. And Joyce Meyer Ministries is the standard upon which excellence is measured when it comes to financial reporting for ministries. I love being able to read the annual report, and to know they have an accountability partner through the ECFA.

The financial transparency Joyce Meyer Ministries provides is the fertilizer that grew the roots deep in my partnership. They could just say, “Trust me.” But Joyce Meyer Ministries goes beyond trust into proof.

A little while ago, I was going through old family photos. And I just happened to find a picture I had taken of my very first office…the one with the taped-up photo of Dave and Joyce. For me, that picture is not only a reflection of where I was going in the future, but also who was going to be with me the whole time. So, to see Dave and Joyce there, knowing the impact they've had... This life doesn’t get any greater.

Watch Amin share his story on Enjoying Everyday Life. Simply visit joycemeyer.org/AminStory.