Trials & Their Silver Lining

I think that I can speak on this subject because I can honestly say that I’ve been tested more than most people. Being that I was in the Construction Industry, I endured a lot of trials over the past years. I was laid off 3 times in 3 years at a time in my life. Being that I was laid off that many times in consecutive years made me a stronger man, and more resilient.

Most say that going through a hardship or trial builds your character. I think that going through a hardship shows you whether you had any character at all in the first place. The first time that I was laid off was the hardest because of the fear of the unknown. This was new territory for me. I didn’t know if I would get a new job soon, or what was going to happen. Fortunately, I always have been a person that relies on God to provide and not man. The second time that it happened, I sort of knew what to expect and I had an idea of how to tackle this hardship with God’s help. The third time, I knew what to expect all around, and I wasn’t fearful at all, nor was I angry or sad. Each time God made my spirit stronger, more motivated, and not so gun shy of the pink slip.

Through the time when I was laid off and throughout my life growing up, God showed me things that I started to figure out as I matured in life. He showed me that sometimes you have to lose something to get something better. Each time that I got laid off, I got a better job and a lot better pay. If I had stayed in the same job that I had before, then God couldn’t have blessed me with a better situation. A lot of times we are quick to anger and sadness when every a trial comes our way, but I learned to step back and watch God do his work. I started to realize what was going on, and just let it flow. I see now that I was not on the right mountain. I was just climbing small hills and God was knocking me down those hills to make me stronger, more dependent on him, and to put me on the mountain that he wanted. When the lord has a greater calling for you, he will put you through things many times over, and in the end, you will be better than you would’ve ever thought.

God was building me up for a greater plan “His Plan.” He allowed me to take on those trials so that each time my focus, confidence, resilience, and faith could grow. My patience and faith has been tested, and God gave me the “Rubber Band Factor” for my life. That means that I fell many times, but I always bounce back, through God’s grace. I learned throughout my life that how you view the world all depends on your perspective. Some days you eat the bear, and some days the bear eats you. By that I mean, some days are good and some are bad. I learned to be happy no matter what comes my way. Just because a day isn’t going great doesn’t mean that I can’t find something good to take from that day. Most of the time we view a day that doesn’t go the way that we would like as a bad day, but I see those days as days opportunities to turn a negative into a positive because if the day didn’t go rough then you wouldn’t have learned something new, such as how to deal with a future situation that goes down like that day did. I see that life’s ups and downs provide us with windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals.

Most of the time, we don’t get down until someone else says “Aw man I’m sorry and I feel bad for you.” My take is don’t feel sorry for anyone because you don’t know what God has planned for that person. Here’s an example. When I was laid off the second time I got a great job offer but it was in Baltimore, Maryland. Many people had told me that they wouldn’t take it, and that it was too far away, and that the crime was too high. If I had not moved up there then I wouldn’t have been able to see a new part of the country, pay my bills, feed my family, nor would I have gotten that big paycheck. People will push their fears off on you, and stop you from getting your blessing if you listen to them. Also, you need to realize that everyone isn’t for you. Even though they say that they have your best intentions in mind. Most people don’t want you to go to a certain place, take a certain job, nor do they see the great plan that God has in store for you. The reason being for all of that is because some people don’t want you to succeed in anyway because they don’t want you to get ahead of them in life. We need to see the silver lining in everything, whether it suits us or whether it doesn’t. You have to take a leap of faith when God gives you an opportunity rather than listening to other people’s opinions and emotions. You all know what I mean by emotions. Here’s an example. Someone will always say “I don’t know about you doing that or I don’t feel that you should do that.” That’s why I usually am alone. I have a select few friends, family, and I don’t even have any associates anymore. I have tunnel vision for positivity, and a mental block for foolishness. I don’t play little games or act like I am cool with anyone if they are associates because they just waste your time when you know that you don’t like them. I’m grown now and don’t have time for “Time Robbers” as I call them. I just say keep it moving. I’m not going to miss my blessing pretending to like someone when I know that they are just there to just be nosey and front like they like you. I say be real with yourself and if you don’t really like someone then say it, and not waste your own time by acting like you are their friend, or as I call it “Sleeping With The Enemy.”

I learned a lot through the trials. I learned who was for me and who was not. I learned that “He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away.” So therefore I say don’t listen to people, don’t try to do things to make people happy, and believe in yourself, and God. I learned to distance myself away from negativity as a youngster. The more people that you have in your life; the more chance that you have for trials, drama, and opinions that are not needed. It just comes with the territory. I see trials as segments to transcend you into a new phase of your life. Trials are beneficial. Don’t look at a trial as a negative. Turn them into positives. They are there for your benefit. How can you have a testimony without going through a test first? How could you get to the next level of your life without first having to be disconnected from your prior situation. It’s rather funny that most of us didn’t like that situation in the first place, beit a job, relationship, or a decision that you needed to make but didn’t know how to. So why be angry or sad that it is over now? My advice is to see trials as good instead of bad. Think of it as I do. It takes a lot of pressure, many hours, weeks, maybe even years to make a piece of coal into a diamond, but the end result is shiny, and worth more than it ever would’ve been if only viewed as a lump of coal. I want you all to shine bright and see the silver lining in hardships and trials rather than questioning them and being quick to anger and sadness because God is taking you to another level.

~Marks of Wisdom