The Adversity Effect

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37, NIV

My left eye was left dangling out of its’ socket and the left side of my face had considerable damage, i.e., a broken nose and a shattered cheekbone. My back had been crushed and I was left paralyzed from the waist down. I faded in and out of consciousness, unable to comprehend what had happened to me.

My family had been hit head-on by a drunk driver as we were driving to Florida for Thanksgiving. I remember the doctor telling me that my life would never be the same. I was going to live as a paraplegic and be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Though I underwent plastic reconstructive surgery, I was not expected to regain vision in my left eye.  The outlook was not encouraging…

I was overwhelmed and scared to even consider what my future was going to be. I cried out to God to save me, and He did! Right there in that Surgical Intensive Care Unit , I asked Him to be the Lord of my life. Immediately, I felt a peace and a strength which I had never experienced before. I also prayed for healing because I believed that God had the power and ability to heal me if He chose.  I came to cling to the concept that God was bigger than anything I could face, and THAT brought me great comfort.

The accident was more than 28 years ago. Today, I live with a new perspective on adversity. God has taught me to see adversity from His perspective instead of my own. His perspective offers me hope, whereas my perspective was not very encouraging at times. God’s perspective teaches me that everything that happens in life can be used for God’s glory and there is even a positive aspect to bad experiences.

What are you dealing with today? Do you believe that God is bigger? Give your adversity to God and sit back and watch the amazing things He can do through it. It’s all in perspective.