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Overcoming adversity
An essay on perseverance
Overcoming adversity
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Shattered, broken, and mentally tired. I detested living with all the cruel things that life could bring. I felt like a wolf trying to catch its prey lying in ambush. There was absolutely no hope for me. All of my dreams had been destroyed. Friendships were ruined, and love did not exist for me. As a young girl, I grew up in a place where if two or three were gathered, someone would be in the midst, someone who is filled with hope, someone who is filled with love and passion. A simple prayer would even cause Him to show His manifested power. I entered the moment with anticipation. I had a hunger and a thirst that only He was able to satisfy. My grandmother had taught me that in His presence bodies are healed, broken dreams are restored, and …show more content…
lives are transformed---with Him all things are possible. In the year of 2014, I decided to be delivered from all things that were debilitated and become one with a man who is above all-Jesus. Everything began to change my life drastically. While in ministry, I struggled with being misunderstood, misrepresented, misused, talked about, and criticized. Family, friends, and people who claimed to be “Jesus Walkers” often told me that “Girl, you know you ain’t saved.” They completely made a mockery out of me by bringing up things I had done in my past. One day, there was this huge party going on, and I knew that everyone would be there.
I was disgusted and weakened from all of the rude remarks I had been getting throughout the week. Later that night, I decided to go, but something just wouldn’t allow me to. A man whom I had never seen before approached me and said, “what’s a girl like you doing at a place like this?’ Offensively, I responded by saying, “What do you mean? Everyone else is here, so why can’t I be here?” He said, “No, this is not a place for you. Go home.” I became angry with him, and I kept refusing to go home. Calmly, he was steady pleading for me to go home, and suddenly, he disappeared. Five minutes later, my uncle saw me and made me go. I was very upset. Around 1:00 A.M, I heard many different sirens coming from up the street. I ran up the road, anxious to see what was happening. When I arrived at the scene, I discovered that three people had been shot badly. Immediately, I began to thank God for protecting, sheltering, and having His angels to watch over me. I learned that being in ministry was not for the faint at heart. I could not wear my feelings on my shoulders or even think that ministry was all about how I felt. When you are truly of the Kingdom of God, some things are just non-negotiable. Not everyone believes in God. In fact, if He is to stand before the people today, they would still deny that He isn’t real. Believing is personal faith. It is hard to change people’s faith and beliefs by knowledge.
I do not spend time trying to find proof of God’s existence because His Son, Jesus Christ, is living proof. In reality, I cannot see the air, but I know that it exists because I am still breathing. Every time I see food, I know that someone had to prepare it. Faith is the ultimate substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things I can’t see. As one of His Disciples, understand you have to be shaped like Christ to have a Kingdom mindset. Check your motive: Why do you attend church, and why do you want to be saved? Do not follow the trends of others, but set your own. I didn’t accept a change to have a title, or become famous, or to get a place in a building. I changed because I wanted a deeper revelation, a greater impartation, and a clear manifestation of who God is. For the bible tells me that there is important work to be done in the Kingdom, and only a few are able to do it. I knew that God was everything to me and not just one dimensional. He was multicasting and omnipotent in all of His power. I knew that God could be whatever I need whenever I needed him. He showed me how to walk in purity, in holiness, and in love! So whenever I am asked what I have done to make a change in my life, I respond by saying “I got saved”!
For twelve years I’ve tried to hide my pain and fear from you. I’ve been trying to ignore the horror stories, unknowingly blinding myself from the stories of hope. I’m not as bitter as this story may lead you to think. In fact, I am an adamant believer in the statement (overheard three years ago in the Coffee House): “God has never taken anything away from me that he hasn’t replaced with something better.”
As with any ministry, it takes a person who to be selfless and willing to make the sacrifices that have to be made daily as Ms. Lamb does. For example, she quit a f...
What I appreciate most about this book is that people from all occupations can relate to Cordeiro’s story. Even volunteers, wives, and mothers, can experience burnout easily. While I am not a pastor and have never reached a crisis like Cordeiro, I have certainly had warning signs in my life that required attention. After years of working in the nursing field, I became a stay-at-home mom for the first time. Something I never
I rushed out of the bedroom confused. I began to realize what was going on. I ran to where I last saw her and she was not there. Never before I felt my heart sank. My eyes filled with tears. I dropped to my knees and felt the cold white tile she last swept and mopped for my family. I look up and around seeing picture frames of of her kids, grandchildren, and great grandchildren smiling. I turn my head to the right and see the that little statue of the Virgin Mary, the last gift we gave her. I began to cry and walked to my mother hugging her. My father walked dreadfully inside the house. He had rushed my great grandmother to the hospital but time has not on his side. She had a bad heart and was not taking her medication. Later that morning, many people I have never seen before came by to pray. I wandered why this had to happen to her. So much grief and sadness came upon
After seeing though the eyes of my pastor I’ve come to realize the importance of faith and committing to one’s beliefs. Returning to church after two massive losses has helped my mother in many ways and it has also taught me as a young man how small things that I could do would turn to have a big impact on someone’s life the same way my pastor impacted my life and the life of my siblings.
I spent every spring and summer in middle school doing mission work and community service. I loved the opportunity that it gave me to build relationships and share my beliefs with people I didn’t know. Little did I know that this would pave the way for a life-changing experience that I would encounter one day. Each spring my church would host a missionary event called “The Ignite Project.” I felt an urge to join the group, recognizing that it was a calling to profess my faith in Jesus. These mission trips helped me to go out
“The call is something that is an indescribable joy and an indefinable burden at the same time.” (Bryant and Brunson 2007, 32). There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a congregation of the redeemed moving forward in their faith. However exciting this may be, it is usually not the thrill that propels the pastor in his service. It is the burden placed on the pastor by God that compels him in his work. The pastor understands that he is largely responsible for the work of God being accomplished by his faithfulness to his calling. “All through the Word of God and down through the annals of history, when God has moved it has almost always been attended by the preaching of the Word.” (Bryant and Brunson 2007, 31)
Failure isn’t always something you have control of or have the ability to predict. Failure seems to happen at the worst of times; however we need to accept it, because you cannot always win. My greatest failure would be tearing my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), my junior year in a lacrosse game, through no fault of my own in which my body physically failed me, but it truly changed my aspect of life in multiple ways.
I would shut my eyes because I knew what was coming. And before I shut my eyes, I held my breath, like a swimmer ready to dive into a deep ocean. I could never watch when his hands came toward me; I only patiently waited for the harsh sound of the strike. I would always remember his eyes right before I closed my own: pupils wide with rage, cold, and dark eyebrows clenched with hate. When it finally came, I never knew which fist hit me first, or which blow sent me to my knees because I could not bring myself to open my eyes. They were closed because I didn’t want to see what he had promised he would never do again. In the darkness of my mind, I could escape to a paradise where he would never reach me. I would find again the haven where I kept my hopes, dreams, and childhood memories. His words could not devour me there, and his violence could not poison my soul because I was in my own world, away from this reality. When it was all over, and the only thing left were bruises, tears, and bleeding flesh, I felt a relief run through my body. It was so predictable. For there was no more need to recede, only to recover. There was no more reason to be afraid; it was over. He would feel sorry for me, promise that it would never happen again, hold me, and say how much he loved me. This was the end of the pain, not the beginning, and I believed that everything would be all right.
Once the crying commenced, my mother called me, telling me that my last grandma had gone into the hospital. She collapsed in her apartment and was rushed to the emergency center. I had no idea what to do. I felt like God was just condemning me and attacking me for some reason. I went into this deep depression and I didn’t want anyone to talk to me, if they did, I would simply start crying.
I started working at a Fedex last year when I was nineteen. I took this as a second job because I felt lost in life and I was trying to find myself in God. I was not able to come to college at that time and I had just broken up with my girlfriend. This was not the best time in my life. However, it turned out to be a great place to minister. I was able to reach people for God. One instance that I was able to minister for the Lord was with Tyler. Tyler and I worked in the same area at Fedex for a few months. He was my supervisor and a huge pot head. We talked about movies, comic books, drugs, our struggles, and Jesus. One night Tyler and I were talking about Jesus and his beliefs in God. He was skeptical about Jesus and did not know what he was about. I told him Jesus was sent here to save us from ourselves and everything bad we have ever done. The conversation led to me telling him that he was loved by God and could be forgiven for anything he had ever done wrong. I still remember what he said; “ Wow that is crazy!” I realized what it was to impact people for the Kingdom of God. I was able to plant a seed for God in a place I had never even wanted to
He says that the actions of people and their words have been what has shocked him the most. A lot of things are shared between church staff members for the benefit of the church. When you are working in the ministry of people, obviously, a lot of drama and tough circumstances will
We were all looking forward to having a great time and we did. I laughed a lot until something shifted. While different ones shared stories, my spirit was quieted. I experienced an overwhelming sense of peace and detachment. From that moment on, I was able to separate myself from the church without any hesitation. Did I have all the answers as to how I was going to serve God in my new capacity? No but I was excited to see where God was taking us. By getting in touch with my inner quiet and time of reflection, I was able to discern God’s voice, the good spirit, speaking to
Everyone in life experiences failure. It can affect people positively or negatively and that all depends on how they react to the experience. If one lets their failure overcome their dreams, it will lead them in the wrong path. But if one views their failures as a motive to succeed and grow, then they are on their way to becoming successful. For me, I let my failures in life help build onto my character and define the person I am today. My childhood injury is my example as I let this moment affect the outcome of my dreams I had then.
It was a dreadful afternoon, big droplets of rain fell directly on my face and clothes. I tasted the droplets that mixed with my tears, the tears I cried after the incident. The pain in my foot was excruciating. It caused me to make a big decision of whether I should visit you or not. I decided I would. I limped towards my bright, blue car where my bony, body collapsed onto the seat. I started the engine up but at the same time being cautious of my bleeding foot. I then drove to the destination where I was bound to meet you. I was bound to meet you after three years of counselling from my last appearance with you. I guess all I can remember is the scarring....