Adversity is the grinding wheel of life; Either we’re sharpened or dulled- Depending on the angle of our attitude
It’s interesting how different people handle adversity differently. Some come out on the other side better while others come out bitter.
Dealing with Loss
Picking up the pieces of a shattered life is an overwhelming sorrow, but there is always something redeemable if we are not too jaded to recognize it.
Having some colossal failures and massive misfortunes in my life, I was, yet, always able to find gems among the ashes, which provided my mess of a life with more purpose than serving as a mere object lesson of what not to do.
Rather than just counting my losses, I was able to count my gain in so many ways. It seemed no matter what I was doing, whether I was succeeding or failing, that I was ultimately continuing to succeed on so many levels.
Maintaining a healthy attitude is a vital factor for this, but I ultimately attribute this to the providential care of God’s grace; keeping me from the snare of cynicism and venom of a fatalistic philosophy.
Turning loss Into Gain
So there I was with ruined credit, an ailing business, a house in foreclosure, a pending divorce and a life-time supply of damage for everyone…
I seem to recall envisioning a different kind of legacy; enjoying life collecting sweet memories together forever. But this was a catastrophic train wreck where the dead are better off than the maimed survivors.
So what do you think I did?…
What I did, was completely the opposite of what most people do in a given crisis.
I praised and thanked God for the abundance I still had!
Perhaps that sounds rather hokey to some, but I clearly perceived the wealth I still possessed, the benefits of my adversity – as well as the new opportunities my losses presented.
I was able to turn the negative void into positive space, which aloud me to change and rearrange my priorities and overall lifestyle much easier than the rigid structure which so hindered me before; so to design and remodel my life with the kind of foundation that would support an architecture superior to what I ever had!
Count It All Joy
When one becomes closely associated with their God-given internal wealth, the adversities of external circumstances will only cause temporary discomfort, but not destruction. When someone like this passes through the fire, they will not be burned, but refined like the purest gold.
People like this know their adversity has a purpose and even benefits their soul.
They can say, “My suffering builds my character, my folly teaches me wisdom, difficult people exercise my diplomacy, tragedy aligns my perspective, travail refines my heart and dark times test my faith”.
People like this always get back up and run- and no matter how many times they lose – they win!
For this, I am thankful for my adversities and all its wealth of benefits. For they have served as God’s crafting tools to carve, chisel and polish me into a masterpiece of priceless worth!
“My brethren, count it all joy when you meet various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, And let endurance have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” – James 1:1-2
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