Adversity is a reality of life. All of us – poor and rich, educated and illiterate, young and old, famous or otherwise – have the right to go through hard times. As much as we dislike them tough times do fall on us all and at times without warning. Although all of us can go through adversity not all of us are ready to handle them. Consequently when problems strike many of us allow our hearts to be broken and slip into depression. Worse still most people indulge in sex, overeating, alcohol and drugs – indulgences that devastate millions of lives every year.
In the past few years drugs has become the world’s multibillion-dollar industry that fuels crime and violence like no other substance on the planet. The top five psychotropic drugs (drugs that helps cope with mental / emotional behaviour disorders) combined gross more money than the gross national product of over half the countries on Earth. All together, the psychiatric industry takes in over 300 billion dollars a year. While some users sacrifice their lives to an addiction they can’t escape, others find drugs (together with sex, food, and alcohol) to be their saving grace from physical and emotional pain.
I am not blaming any one for not being able to cope with issues of life because in the past few years I have had a fair share of hard knocks myself – traumatic illnesses, accidents, failed businesses and fragmented relationships – losing almost every thing in the process. I have known what it means to live on charity food bank and sleeping rough, sharing accommodation with drug addicts, alcoholics and ex-offenders. Because of all these various people – especially those that knew me – treated me with contempt. To say the least I felt rejected, betrayed, isolated, useless, and hopeless.
To a great extent, my misery was exacerbated by the lack of a survival mechanism. Although I was a minister of the gospel from a young age I didn’t know how to cope with the hard times.
For years, I was made to believe that ‘holiness’ and strong faith was enough to make one immune from adversity. This mentality made me naïve, cynical and vulnerable. When I fell into hard times I thought God had deserted me . Honestly I never thought I could survive without my children and without my lovely wife of almost twenty years. I wondered how I could cope without money and without a job. Once more I felt cheated by God and many times I completely lost the will to live. The pain was unbearable.
Thankfully, God supplied His grace to match my pain. Every time I thought I was down and out somehow He gave me the courage to start over again. Instead of turning to addictive substances, I fell in to God’s strong hands. As I fought to cope with my emotional trauma I devoted my time to fasting, praying and studying. I learned from the Holy Spirit, from other great individuals who had been through tough times, and from the scriptures.
The result was amazing; not only that I survived a four-year adversity but I also discovered love, peace and fulfillment beyond my wildest imagination. In the midst of all these dark moments, I discovered what I now call “Survival Pills” – thoughts that when learned and accepted helps one navigate through hard times as they did to me.
This blog, therefore, entails a collection of distinct articles written during my dark years. Each article and story carries a unique message that has potential to help you not only to survive hard times but also to enjoy a fulfilled life. These messages are designed to highlight God’s autonomy, abstruse wisdom and unconditional love in our lives. If you open your heart to accept them they will make you feel happy, fulfilled, and calm at all times. Moreover, they will enrich you with an understanding of life that fills you with an appreciation, love, and a deep selfless concern for the welfare of others.
Some of these articles have been published on my others blogs as well as to thousands of my worldwide email contacts as devotionals. As a sample feedback depicts below, these thoughts have been equally helpful to many.
These messages give me courage and hope. I don’t know if you send the same messages to everyone, but I have always felt them being personal. You speak directly to my spirit and always spot on giving meaning to things that are going on in my life at the moment. I am blessed …Thank you very much..– Mary
You have affected countless lives through your writing. They are amazing both in content and quality. I am doubly blessed by this spiritual diet and masterpiece that actually describe my state in the past two years … from the depth of my heart, thank you for allowing virtue to flow through you- Ogbole, P
…These are helpful messages … I have developed a habit of reading them every evening and more so when I’m going through hard times. I always feel energized as I read them… Thank you so much and God bless you – Dr. S.L. Masanja
.. These messages are helping the entire family in the healing process after our recent loss. Thank you – Jackie, S
I cannot guarantee you that every article will definitely make you better because I don’t know whether you will open your heart to them or not. What I know quite well however is that these thoughts have been my strength in hard times and have certainly made my life far better than I would be without them. My sincere hope is that they will serve you well, too.
Dreamlife Mission 