The Blessing of Adversity: Finding Your God-given Purpose in Life's Troubles

Some of life's greatest challenges are addressed head-on in The Blessing of Adversity: Finding Your God-Given Purpose in Life's Troubles by Barry C. Black. "He has made everything beautiful in his time," Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God," Paul wrote in Romans 8. Yes, we know these things, but often we forget them. As we pass through the tunnels of hardship, we focus on the darkness around us instead of the light at the tunnel's end. Barry C. Black writes to help us retrain our focus on the light, not the darkness.

Garnering anecdotes from his childhood, his years of formal education, his 27 years of service in the U.S. Navy, and his experiences as chaplain of the U.S. Senate, Black shares true stories of good resulting from difficult times. Using countless anecdotes – from history, the Bible, personal experience, and the lives of others – he gives his readers specific advice to help them look at their problems with optimism and faith. "Sweet are God's uses of adversity," Black writes, and he shows his readers how through his own experiences and the experiences of others God used bad for good outcomes.

In a number of instances, Black's writing is repetitive and certain biblical examples are used multiple times. However, for the purpose of the book, this repetition is not so much annoying as it is necessary to drive home the point that God uses adversity to bless us.

Every chapter of The Blessing of Adversity is packed with meaning. As I read through Black's examples of and insights on God's purpose in the tough times, I had to slow down to soak it up. The more I soaked up, the easier it was to focus on the light ahead instead of the darkness now surrounding me. – Meredith Sell, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

A motivational tone pervades this guide to preparing for life's challenges by embracing the possibility that good work may be accomplished through faithful navigation of life's storms. Black (From the Hood to the Hill: A Story of Overcoming), a retired U.S. Navy admiral and current chaplain of the U.S. Senate, speaks with the authority of one who has endured and overcome setbacks and humiliations. He refers several times to painful childhood memories of evictions when he came home to find family furniture on the street, and then notes his gratitude when years later he purchased a house for his hardworking mother, whom he credits for raising him in faith. Three sections, "Mastering the Basics," "Avoiding the Sources of Trouble," and "Turning Your Adversity into Advantage," each divide into chapters with subdivisions, resulting in action plans. For example, the chapter "Win by Waiting," includes sections like "Wait for God," "Trust God's Providence," and "Refuse to Murmur and Complain." Drawing lessons from biblical witnesses (Joseph, David, Mary, Paul), religious figures like Martin Luther King Jr., and his rich pastoral experience, Black offers a resource that many readers may find inspiring guidance. (Apr.) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.