Seeking Guidance and Peace Amid Adversity

by Joseph Shumway

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Adversity is a topic familiar to me and all of humanity.  We are constantly reminded in the scriptures of examples of adversity, such as young David of Israel, Jonathan the son of Saul, Elijah, Moses, and Apostle Paul.  All had lives filled and their character made by adversity.  It is only through adversity that we can often know who we truly are and for what we stand for.

I have some favorite non-religious heroes who also faced significant hardship of suffering.  They include Iron Will Stanley, who traveled up the Nile to find the lost explorer Livingston; Earnest Shackleton – an Antarctic explorer who led an open boat navigation to New Zealand and follow up rescue mission to his shipmates in Elephant Island; and the WWII prisoners who escaped from a communist prison in Siberia and marched thousands of miles by foot through the Gobi Desert and over the Himalayas to India in what is known as The Long Walk.

These are amazing lives and, like these many examples, we are not unique.  Like all before us we must be tested and proven in our character.

My father was a great example to me.  Despite being blinded in WWII shortly after landing on the beaches of Normandy, he went on to marry and complete his Master’s degree.  As a young father, his wife constantly encouraged him to “at least try.”  With a big dose of encouragement, faith, and grit, my father went skiing, painted the house, and lived his life fully. Despite his blindness, he had no limitations in how he lived his life.

In the current era of COVID-19 and other societal changes, we may be living in special times, but our challenges are not by any means unique or unknown by previous generations.  It is easy to deceive ourselves to a false reality, but our plight is the plight of all mankind.  We are not the first generation to:

• Be physically distanced from our family
• Feel isolated by language and culture
• Experience uncertainty and unpredictability
• Experience discrimination or unacceptance by others
• Experience reversals of heath, security, or station
• Be subject to violence, theft, or dishonesty
• Endure loss from natural disasters, illness, and other causes

Adversity is critical to our spiritual growth just like exercise is critical to our physical health.  Adversity allows for GROWTH, strengthens our character, and sharpens our willpower.

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As a child I had a poster hanging from my wall that read, “Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.”

As Christ slept on a humble boat in the Sea of Galilee, his disciples panicked and awoke him with fear in their voices. Christ stood and calmed the wind and the waves with the command, “Be still” (Matthew 8:23-27).  We also, as his disciples, can experience Christ’s hand in our lives, calming the storm and leading us to a safe shore.

Mortality implies freedoms and testing of how we will use that gift of choice.  Change is inevitable.  Growth is optional.

We can seek to harness the winds of adversity by setting our sails to increased capacity and personal growth. We can be broken by the storm or strengthened by it.  Many times we can “kick against the pricks” and resist learning.  This damages us.  If we can be meek and humble we can see beyond the storm and capture the “silver lining” of opportunity.

Mortality is not a journey for the faint of heart.  Another cherished quote from my childhood posters is the following: “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

We do not find our eternal reward by “staying in port.” We have to venture forth if we intend to understand who and what we are.

As we outfit “our ship” for a potentially perilous journey through the stormy seas of adversity and change, what should we take with us?  I have a couple of suggestions…

First let us make ourselves an ocean-going boat; we need a Spanish Galleon, or a Chinese Junk to weather the seas. We are not expected, nor is it safe, for us to venture out in a rowboat. We will also need to bring:

• CHARTS – Scriptures and patriarchal blessings (e.g. Proverbs, James, The Gospels.)  
• COMPASS – Prayer and Godly counsel for guidance
• TRAINING – Education and skills relevant to our needs and anticipated challenges
• LANTERNS – Faith, hope, and charity
• PROVISIONS – Reserves of food and supplies; this also includes learning to live our lives in modest ways with provident living

As we outfit our “boat” we need to remember that our ship is special!  Not only do we need to arrive to our destination safely, we are commissioned to help others arrive as well.

Our boat is a rescue boat.

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We must be the “light on the hill” (or on the sea) that the Savior described in the Sermon on the Mount.  We must be willing to share our hope and joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and welcome others on board along with us.

At times this can be risky but we can have confidence in following the example of the Savior.

We can sail the churning seas with security.  We can have confidence in God’s promises to us.  Although we may not control the wind; we can control our sails. By controlling our sails, we control our destination. May we choose light over darkness.

Do we love the Gospel enough to fight our way through adversity to him?  The way forward has been simply mapped for generations past, present, and future. If we want Jesus to help us, we have to follow his rules.  He is here to sustain and support us.  He came to earth to bear our burdens and make them light (Luke 4:8). He can heal our broken hearts (Psalm 147:3).

There is no doubt that this journey will have times of great difficulty and trial.  In our lives, however inadequate that we may feel, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear time and time again, “Don’t Quit.” And if we persist, he will augment and strengthen us.

As Children of Israel, we have the birthright—we are God’s children. Galatians 3:29 tells us if we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to God’s promise.  Therefore, we are given God’s blessing—the gift of His presence and assurance of our salvation as we follow him and rely on his grace.  He promises never to leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

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My Father was not only a brave man, he was a holy man; righteousness was his shield and the Holy Spirit was his companion.  He would often say, “We are on the winning team,” with God as our captain – he will make us holy and sanctified. We also may have the Holy Spirit as our companion.

Wherever we live or whatever our life situation may be, I testify that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift us to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness.  The Lord knows our needs and our challenges.  

Christ said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Like Paul, we can answer “My strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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Call to Action: For a free download of Joseph’s favorite scripture verses to overcome adversity, click here to access my Resource Library with 20 Scripture Verses for Troubled Times.  To view additional stories of lives changed through faith in Jesus Christ, click here to visit my Christian testimonies page.  If you have a story to share and would like to include it on my blog, please e-mail me and I will follow up with you.  To join my current blog series, Cultivate – Building Habits for a Healthy Lifestyle, and receive free encouragement and resources to implement positive habits for your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, click here to join the series.  

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About the Author: Joseph Bagley Shumway was born in 1959 as Child 7 of 8 to Smith and Sarah Shumway.  In his words, “I have received many earthly honors that will fade to dust; the only enduring legacy I will leave behind is the love and goodness of my seven children.”