When do we
grow the most?...Peaceful times?...Happy occasions?...When everyone gives us
what we want or need? I really don’t think so. Strength isn’t necessary during idyllic
times. For that reason, familiarity and relaxation will not lead to power. Victory
is found through stretching ourselves like a rubber band.
I wrote an article
the other day about how we gain strength in challenging times. Written below are
further instances of how individuals consistently grow mentally stronger during
their darkest hours:
Lindsey Stirling
This
youthful lady is the highest-earning female on YouTube. I discuss her, and
others who fought the odds and won, in my book, Accept
No Trash Talk: Overcoming the Odds. Her road has been anything but easy and
blissful. Here are some highlights of an article
about her in Glamour magazine as well as some facts that I already knew:
- 7.2 million Subscribers /Two Albums/A world tour
- Couldn’t afford dance lessons as a kid
- Unique dancing-while-playing-violin style
- Battled rejection and depression
The real
catalyst to this amazing woman’s career was America’s
Got Talent. This is noteworthy
because she was disregarded on that show. In 2010, she made it to the
quarterfinals. Talent judge, Piers
Morgan, said her music sounded like “rats being strangled”. Sharon Osbourne, a
kinder judge, suggested traditionalism: a back-up band. Lindsey says that the
criticism motivated her to work even harder.
Note to the abrasive Piers Morgan:
Hello?! Didn’t you know that rats are musical? Seriously, who’s successful now? You lost your talk show. Bonus
moral of the story: “So the last shall be first and the first shall be last.”
(Matthew 20:16)
Another Note: One person is not the
arbiter for the taste of a whole group, country, or the world. Nobody is that
important. (That’s unrelated to the post, but I had to throw it in.)
The Bible
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
Chapter
Three of the book of Daniel is about these three Hebrew youths. They refused to
worship the gods of the land, or the golden idol commissioned by King
Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, the monarch
ordered his strongest men to bind them and throw them into a furnace. The fire
wasn’t just hot; it was seven times
hotter than normal. In fact, it was so hot that the men who threw the young
men into the furnace were burned to death.
What is the
rest of the story? The bonds were loosened miraculously. The young men walked
around completely unharmed. They were also talking to a fourth man who was “like
the Son of God.” Nebuchadnezzar called them to come forth out of the fire. He
decreed that no man should speak against the god of these youths, since no
other deity could perform such miracles. In addition, he gave them promotions.
Moses
This prophet
was raised in luxury as an Egyptian prince. Yet, he had to be tried and tested
as a simple desert dweller for 40 years before he was capable of taking on the
huge role of leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
Me
I have gone
through many “wildernesses” or “refiner’s fires”; waayyyy too many to list
here. The challenges have smoothed my rough edges. Often, I am so humble anyone
can wipe a floor with me, which is a huge change from my previous personality. Strangely
enough, in this humility, I have discovered a new power: connecting with others
who have more knowledge and fortitude than I do.
Conclusion
Trials can
be uncomfortable, disorienting, painful, traumatic, and a whole list of
negative adjectives. The good news is that an entire list of positive
attributes can result from them: meekness; human or divine guidance and
strengthening; and, groundbreaking discoveries and careers.
How have
your challenges catapulted you forward?
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