Adversity gives birth to opportunity
This is SO hard. I feel overwhelmed with the stories of hard times, from close friends and family to those I hardly know. Layoffs, increasing debt, foreclosures… and the list goes on and on. My heart aches, because I’ve been there.
I read a number of posts on our message board about how www.TheGroceryGame.com has helped members through hard times. Some posted about having found us when they hit hard times years ago. Others were more recently affected by the economy and sought out a way to put good food on the table for half the cost. The re-curring theme was that they have “learned so much”.
http://terismessageboard.thegrocerygame.com/showthread.php?t=125696
Then I thought about what I learned through my hard times. I can’t hardly say I’m glad I went through it, as it was SO painful and extremely frightening. But maybe I am glad I HAD to go through it. Because what was born out of those hard times was www.TheGroceryGame.com. I HAD to be pressed into a corner, in order to learn valuable skills for keeping good food on the table. I HAD to go through hard times, or I never would have been pressed so hard to make $35 a week feed my family of four so well. I HAD to, so that I would survive. And… I HAD to so that now thousands of families would not just survive, but thrive.
Not to be cavalier, or insensitive, but I challenge anyone who is going through hard times. And the challenge is this: Ask yourself these questions:
What can I learn from this?
Is there anything I am doing that is keeping me here?
Is there anything I am not doing that I should be doing?
What opportunities are out there that I’ve never pursued?
What might I be missing?
Is there anything more I can do to change this situation, even in a small way?
Is there anything that “might” make things better, that I haven’t tried?
What skills do I have that I haven’t used in a long time?
What new skill can I learn?
What productive things can I do with my time?
I suppose there are lots more questions to ponder. When I was going through my hard times, I asked God those kinds of questions every night as I laid in bed. I guess he answered them.
