Such was the decision Valorie had to make in 2001 when she sold her business. Although the door she closed would not only open a large window, her path was stalled when one of the hardest moments in her life transpired; her mother had a massive brain aneurism. Valorie moved back home to assist her mom and younger brother. “You come out with a sense of hope and perseverance that you will get through things. You will be stretched but God is there. No matter what my obstacles were, there’s someone who’s had worse and they made it.” Valorie goes on to recant her time during her mother’s aneurism. “It was one of the biggest periods of growth for me. It was a major turning point. I was 28 and talking on the phone with my mom. I remember her saying, ‘Oh my head’.”
With so many years of having only to take care of herself, she was now put into the position of a caregiver of an ill parent and an eight year old sibling. The experience of being responsible for both of them helped her to see what was more important. She had to slow down and re-evaluate her life.
In her debut book, “Rich M i n d s , Rich Rewards,” Valorie mentions how people tend to take health and simple things for granted, but after having to watch her mom not being able stand, sit up or speak Valorie states she realized how blessed she is to have family and friends. Her friends from Dallas and co-workers visited her mom while in the hospital. She learned a lot about herself and succumbed to the knowledge that no matter what a situation is you have something to be grateful for.
“All the stuff I’d learned by reading the bible, I had to put into action.” Her mother surgery occurred in the middle of the night. The doctors’ said she may not make it or may even become brain damaged. The thought alone could’ve stifled the prayers of many but Valorie continued to be steadfast. While driving downtown to Methodist Hospital, Valorie merged off of I-35 and curved along the ramp onto Colorado Boulevard. Right then, at that moment she raised her hands to praise God. A specific scripture flickered in her mind, “I shall praise the lord at all times,” and that she did.
“In my difficult times it wasn’t all up to me. It’s all on Him. I would not lose faith in God. The battle is not mine, it’s the Lord’s. I know it’s hard to give praise at times when you’re in pain and in uncertainty. But when you face trouble, you should do what the bible says to do. It doesn’t mean you’re not in pain or that you like it. Still I don’t know how you get through life without God.”
Valorie believes that when people believe something is too hard for them to work past or get through, the end result does no one any good. “You can’t get any strength from that.” As an entrepreneur, she admitted, there were times when she felt like it would be easier to get a job, with set hours and salary. “But,” she softly interjects, “it wasn’t my calling.” When listening to Ms. Burton, you truly believe in her message about hope, perseverance and inner strength. You feel empowered by embracing her words and allowing them to permeate into your spirit and become substance. “I know this is what I’m meant to be doing and I simply cannot do anything else.” Valorie continues, “I would be miserable if I tried. If God created you to do something it’s not going to be anything else that you can do with peace. I pray for anointing to speak. People want to hear truth. Anytime you’re able to stop focusing on yourself, it takes a lot of pressure off. There are times when you need to get quiet and sit with God. Truly study his word.”