The Blessing of Adversity

by Lester Rennard

Most readers of this blog, I assume, are familiar by experience with adversity. No one having gone through adversity would agree that in itself, it is a blessing. Adversity brings pain, disappointment, loss, misfortune, tragedy and grief that tries the soul of its victim and oftentimes results in confusion, despair, financial reversal, shattered lives, broken dreams and hope left tethering at the brink.

Someone, for example, has just been informed by her family doctor that the result of her latest mammogram indicates a breast tumor that the biopsy confirms to be cancerous. She is thirty-five years old, the mother of a vibrant three year-old and enjoying a happy marriage and a very supportive husband. Up to this point, life was going very well for her and now, upon hearing this news, she is plunged into the dark hole of adversity. Can any blessing be derived from this development?

A forty-two year-old professional family man just bought a new home for his family under a year ago. He was newly promoted to a much more responsible position in his company with a hefty pay increase. His wife is a stay at home mom taking care of their young child. He has been working with this company for the past fifteen years and has just learned that the company has become insolvent and will be liquidating. The outlook for employment in the short term is very dim and all the benefits accumulated over the years might no longer exist under the current circumstances. Will he be forced to relocate to a new area to find suitable employment? How will he support his family when most of his cash resources were just invested in this new home and he might not now realize any funds from his company retirement program due to its insolvency? These new uncertainties have thrust him on the horn of a dilemma and he is falling flat on the face of adversity. Can there be any real blessing in all of this?

Joseph, a young man, has been accused and convicted of a crime that he did not commit. Because of the clout, high social standing and influence of his accuser, he never had a chance. The odds are stacked against him, despite the fact that his criminal conviction resulted from his refusal to engage in activities that he believed would violate his conscience and moral principles. The criminal justice system believed his accuser and discounted the evidences he offered in his own defense. He is facing the prospect of a long prison sentence. Why is he facing such injustice despite his integrity? What blessing could ever come out of this adversity into which he is now plunged?

The blessing is not within the actual adversity but contained within the outcome of the adversity. The outcome of an adversity is determined by the attitude, perspective, determination, fortitude and perseverance of the one involved. When plunged into an adversity, one is faced with many questions and certain decisions. Why is this happening to me? What have I done or am I doing to cause this situation? What adjustment is this calling for me to make in my life? When will this condition go away? Is there any hope that I might ever overcome and recover from this? What lessons am I to learn from all this?

The news of a cancerous growth in her body may influence a young mother to either give up and lose the will to live or may galvanize her to fight this cancer with all the resources at her disposal, so that she may recover and live for the benefit of her family. It may positively influence a new kind of lifestyle for her and may provide her with opportunities to share her story with others faced with the same dilemma; and to convince many to also change their lifestyles, in an effort to prevent the disease. If her story and influence result in many others being educated, informed and propelled into taking actions to adopt appropriate lifestyles to prevent or mitigate the onslaught of cancer, the outcome of her adversity becomes a blessing. Even if she herself were never to survive the cancer, her legacy of helping to save many others as a result of her adversity, would accrue to being a blessing.

The forty two year-old professional facing the adversity of the sudden loss of job, income and fortune and very little prospect of an immediate replacement income to support his family, may either choose to resort to self-pity and give up or fight the odds to find a way. This job loss and no immediate job opportunities in his area might cause him to do some personal stock taking. He may find that he has skills that he might be able to offer as an independent entrepreneur. By pursuing this independent path, he might be able to build a modest business that not only allows him to support his family but to also rebuild his retirement fortune and provide job opportunities for others. The adversity of losing a job, financial resources and prospects for new employment results in the outcome of a blessing and a more financially secure future.

Joseph may not be able to see any blessing that could ever result from being falsely convicted and imprisoned. He determined to remain faithful to the ideals of personal integrity. He also determined to make every effort to improve and prepare himself for the time when he would be released so as to make a difference in his own life and others. He demonstrated himself to being a trustworthy and dependable young man. He used the opportunity provided by the system to improve on his education and in the process earning a valuable college degree. His stellar behavior, ambition and excellent example of right conduct caught the attention of the powers that be and won him an opportunity for a new trial. This new trial saw much evidence of his innocence and released him from prison. He was provided with an opportunity to use his acquired knowledge and skills and is now very successful in a rewarding career. Being in prison was not a blessing for Joseph, but his attitude that created a favorable outcome for him resulted in a blessing.

If you are facing adversity and can identify with any of the above scenarios, consider that there may very well be a seed somewhere in your adversity that you may identify, nurture and grow into a full, mature plant that may result into a harvest of blessings. As the saying goes, if life hands you a lemon, turn it into lemonade and enjoy the refreshing drink.