Monumental Setbacks = +_ Monumental Comebacks
Have you had at some point in the course of your life, a V8
moment, where you suddenly finding yourself in the throes of a monumental
setback, aka, gut wrenching, cookie tossing, catastrophic failure and wondered
what the heck just happened?
If you have or are now in the midst of one now, take heart,
you’re not alone. Many of us have experienced a rude awakening over the last
few years, be it financially, physically, romantically or psychologically.
Not that it makes what you’re going through, any easier, to
know there are others who have been there, done that and have the horrific
scars to prove it. What it does convey is hope. Hope that if others in our
midst can survive it and thrive in spite of the setback, we can too.
What would you rank as the greatest monumental setback of
all time? Possibly the Civil War or WWII, or maybe something as recent as the
nightmare of the Healthcare.Gov computer glitches that are currently preventing
people who need insured the most, from enrolling. Or maybe a famous personality
that weathered the storms of life, only to make a monumental comeback. Hold
that thought, if you please. I’ll attempt to give you my answer by the end of
this read.
Let’s take Peyton Manning for example. His college career,
at our beloved Tennessee, made him the most famous and talented football player
ever to play the game here. His ranking as number one in the draft in 2008, led
him to the Colts and the rest is now history; well sort of.
His recurring neck injuries, over time, eventually put him
through numerous surgeries and on the sidelines and out of the game for the
entire 2011 season. Could one say monumental setback? What about his beloved
Colts, releasing him to free agency, another monumental setback, you betcha?
What the owner’s couldn’t see was the heart and soul of the
man, his passionate love for the game and the attitude to do whatever it takes
to come back. Looking at Peyton and the Bronco’s record this year, could we not
say monumental comeback, you betcha?
Look at Dave Ramsey, another Tennessean, famous author and
financial guru, who experienced the exhilaration of prosperity, until 2006,
when out of the blue, the throes of adversity came calling. How do you think he
would have described his loss of millions and bankruptcy, a ‘fluffy” financial set
back or a catastrophic monumental failure? I can guarantee, when you’re in the
throes of chaos and your “friends” have abandoned you, catastrophic is a
relatively kind word.
But Dave used his intelligence, his faith, and most of all,
his compassion to turn his world and the lives of millions, around. Today, I am
proud to say, he is featured on or every just about every medium there is,
working to prevent other “common folk,” like you and me, from experiencing the
excruciating pain he encountered many years ago. Can we not agree Dave Ramsey
has achieved a monumental comeback?
And then there’s me. Over the last thirty years, I have
experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, both personally and
financially. I have built numerous companies from the ground up, only to give
them away or watch them die, because of the collapse of the economy and the
real estate market.
As of late, I’ve watched an almost thirty year relationship go
down in flames and found myself, for the first time, on the receiving end of generosity,
with limited and often scarce resources or opportunities with which to repay.
I’ve found myself looking for a job, all the while knowing,
even though I’ve done everything from retail, to restaurant, to construction
and development, I can’t adequately fill out a resume, because my previous
employer over the last thirty plus years has gone out of business, me.
Have I experienced a monumental setback, most definitely?
Have I thought of giving up, tossing in the towel and or waving the white flag
of surrender? I have thought of all these things, more than once, I assure you.
Thankfully, my cup is always half full and therein lies my hope.
Sometimes we
have to be broken to be made whole. Is there a monumental comeback in my
future? You can bet on it. In the meantime, I’ve learned many life lessons that
I too, wish on no one, but me. If you’re there or have been there, you can
relate.
I’ve learned who my friends are. You’ll never know whom you
can count on, until you have nothing left to give. I’ve learned that I can
survive on little. I’ve learned just what is most important in the grand scheme
of things. Happiness, as defined by me, is found not in what you have, but who
you have in your life.
I say all this, to tell you, that we are on our way back.
And you can be too. There are however, certain truths that must come into play.
Let no one take your dreams away. For when the dreams stop, so will the
breathing.
Thankfully I have never lost my faith, nor my hope. Even
now, as you’re reading this blog, eighteen months ago, writing was the farthest
thing from my mind. Would you believe, as of last week, I’ve finished my first
novel. Dang, me an author? Who would have thought it, certainly not me? Not even a host of my “former friends
could imagine me writing a fictional love story, “sprinkled with truth” on
redemption and restoration. I’ll provide you a link at the end to read the
preface. We hope to launch it after the first of the year and your feedback
would be greatly appreciated.
But back to my question, that I asked at the beginning of
this read, who or what would you describe as the greatest monumental setback,
followed by the greatest monumental comeback?
I nominate Jesus, who after being born as the Son of God,
was crucified on the cross, a monumental setback for sure. But then after three
disastrous dark days, His Resurrection brought forth the greatest monumental
comeback of all time. Just imagine, the same Spirit that raised Him from the
dead, is available to us, right here, right now, to empower us to create our
own monumental comeback. Therein lies our Hope. We’ve done it before and we can
do it again. Let no one or no thing keep you from believing otherwise.
Stay tuned.
Click on this link to read an excerpt from our first novel:
