In Others’ Words: What Adversity is Not

There was a time in my life when I would handle problems this way:

I’d lay awake at night and think . . . and think . . . and think . . .

I just knew that if I thought long enough, hard enough — maybe prayed a bit about the situation — I would figure a way out of the mess.

I can’t tell you the number of times I thought to myself, “Just give me a minute and I will figure this out.”

What I didn’t realize back then was that my thinking, thinking, thinking was all wrong.

I wasn’t supposed to figure a way out of a problem. Or around it.

Sometimes … oftentimes … what I needed to do was face the reality that I had to go through the mess.

I thought a problem — mess, adversity, disaster, whatever you want to label it — was a sign that I was heading in the wrong direction. Or that somehow I was on some sort of crazy, unnecessary detour and I needed to get back on the right road, and headed in the right direction as soon as possible.

Adversity is part of real life … plain and simple. And  while I believe God accepts the fact that we ask why? and what did I do wrong? and when will this be over?, I’ve stopped trying to figure out how to avoid adversity or how to make it all better. Instead, I try to remember that God is with me in the good times … and the adverse times. I ask where are you, God? And then I go and get as close to him as I can get … so that I don’t lose my way as I continue to walk the path set out before me.

In Your Words: How do you respond to adversity? And what questions do you ask when the path you’re walking takes an unexpected turn or detour? 

What Adversity is Not #lifequotes #RichardPaulEvans
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"Adversity is not a detour…" #lifequotes #RichardPaulEvans
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