On Friday November 20^th, I posted a quick video about adversity. I learned through my near-death experience and journey to heart transplant; that how we handle adversity in our lives creates the outcome and is the best predictor of our future. Below I share an excerpt out of my book, Quarks of Light, from the chapter Gifts of Adversity.

I think about Maria, and through it all, the positive things that have come out of her life. Her suffering was the catalyst that drove me onto my knees that day to give her the coffee enema when she was sickened from toxemia. Had I chosen not to act in the face of adversity, Maria would have continued to suffer needlessly.

We can choose to accept things as they are—or out of free will—we can take responsibility for changing them. Melanie and I could have made very different choices but as a result, Maria eats like a horse and has enough muscle tone to walk with assistance. Her spirit blesses our home every day.

It’s a funny balance, though. I was a little too proactive and my ego thought I could fix everything by myself. It wasn’t until God gave me more than I could handle that I learned dependence and trust. When I finally surrendered, we experienced breakthroughs and answers that came from outside ourselves. That made all the difference.

What I learned is that adversity is an invitation to begin building a relationship with God. Had I not fallen to my knees that day to cleanse her, I would never have come face-to-face with the Divine. It was in doing the deed that God spoke into my spirit and said; Look at me, I’m right here. The more we trust, the more we live in spirit; allowing these gifts of the spirit to manifest.

The meaning of life exists through the vicissitudes and struggles that draw us closer to God.

When adversity comes—and it eventually comes to us all—it’s God’s way of trying to tell us something, asking us to do something, or asking us to let go of something. Adversity introduces us to our authentic selves and reminds us who we are.

When we look at adversity through the lens of how we can use it to create a better future; we begin to both recognize and embrace the gifts it has to offer.