FAF 4212024 Addressing Different Forms of Adversity

The host discusses finding strength in adversity and the importance of knowing the outcome to endure difficult situations. Various examples of adversity are mentioned, including health challenges, financial struggles, relational difficulties, career setbacks, educational obstacles, personal trauma, and cultural and social changes. The host emphasizes the choice to embrace the calling and encourages listeners to reach out for support. Welcome to Faith Alive in 5, the five-minute gospel. Now here's your host, Dr. Faye. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did not have to have this conversation this month about finding strength in adversity and how to define it. What does it look like? What does it look like in your life? Each of us has our own story. Each of us has our own fire. We talk about Romans 5, 3, and 4 in the Bible that says that we're the glory in it. I don't find no glory in it. I don't get that. It's not exciting unless you know the outcome. When you know the outcome of a thing, it helps you to endure the hard places a little bit more, right? If you know you're going someplace, you know your destination, the few bumps in the road doesn't matter, right? If you knew that health was on the other side of your having that surgery, you more than likely will go ahead and have the surgery. Does the surgery feel good? Does it follow the planning, going to the doctors? Is that all? No. But if you know in your heart of hearts that it's going to make you feel better, you do it. I don't like going to the dentist. I don't think any of us really do. Actually, I do now with the hygienist I have. Hi, Sandy. I love my hygienist. And the hygienist I have makes it an enjoyable experience. Why? Because I know that it's going to be a great outcome on the other side. Great experience, right? So we may not always like what we have to go through to get those end results. You don't like going to work every day, but you do want to get paid, right? You may not like the job you have no matter where it is, but you do like to eat, right? You do like having a place to live. So you know that that's the outcome of your getting out of bed every day, going to work, right? And so we don't consider work and life like that an adversity. It could be inside of that. Once you develop health challenges, health adversity can include chronic illnesses, disabilities, injuries, mental health issues that a lot of people are experiencing with dementia and Alzheimer's and other issues, dealing with diagnosis in a loved one. As I do, being a caregiver and, you know, guardian for two family members, you know, that is a responsibility that I don't take lightly. And so there are some frictions that are built in that, adversities that are built inside of that, and many of you can attest to that, those of you who've had to apply for Medicaid to keep your loved ones safe. Financial struggles that many people have to go through because they don't get paid enough, yes? I spoke with a gentleman recently who said he's giving everybody a raise. The minimum his people are going to make, no matter who they are and where they come from, is X, Y, Z a year, period. And then as they graduate to next levels and show their strength, they get another 10 grand on top of that. I said, man, that's awesome because someone sees the value in people and is willing to minimize the adversity, the friction in their lives financially as best as they can. There are relational difficulties, people who are going through divorce, people who are experiencing breakups with their children even. Not necessarily marriage divorce, but divorce from children. It's children who are estranged from parents or grandparents. All kinds of relationship difficulties that are under adversity. Family disputes, family betrayal, all of these things that are keeping people's hearts in chaos and confusion, yes? How about career setbacks? You thought you were going to get that promotion, but then your boss had you to train the young kid, the young one, the 21-year-old, to train them your job, train them how to do your job, and then they took your job. They took the promotion. That didn't feel good, yeah? But that's a setback in your mind. That's friction. That's adversity. That takes your dreams and crush them right in front of you. It is true, people go through these things. And I'm not making this stuff up. These are things that people tell me. And I experienced them myself or other people that I know that are going through educational obstacles. Kids dropping out of school or because they cannot learn. I should say that. Let me retract that statement. They learn differently. They cannot learn at the speed that other people expect them to learn, but they learn differently. I don't think it's their fault. I think it's a system error, right? But that's adversity, right? Personal trauma, whether it's emotional abuse, neglect, violence, abusive relationship, natural disasters, or a pandemic, witnessing a crime, being part, being a victim of a crime. That's adversity. Culture and social change, unlike any other time in history or in my history, there's been some adversity politically, economically. Listen, time's up. I gotta go. Kisses and hugs. And I'll see y'all next time. The calling is a gift, but the choice is yours. Thank you for tuning in to today's broadcast. Dr. Faye would love hearing from you. Contact her today at 870-860-9758 or email coach at drfaye.com. And remember, the calling is a gift, but the choice is yours.