The Mountains That Stand In Our Way

Today, we find ourselves in uncharted territory. Our entire way of life has been altered by this pandemic. Now, nobody saw this coming and the effects of this pandemic have been catastrophic. You have probably asked yourself the question, Why me? However, I want to shift your paradigm by asking you, Why not you?

You are being prepared, groomed, and fashioned through these trials to become some of the greatest leaders in the history of our country. This season is not meant to destroy you, it is meant to propel you into your destiny. There are companies and organizations that need people like you to help them navigate these trying times.

So, do not take your struggles for granted. Embrace the change, embrace the loss. Because sometimes, you must lose to win.

Like you, I have suffered loss and disappointment. My first marriage ended in divorce and what makes it so bad is the fact that I did not see it coming. I was blind-sided and left to fend for myself.

All marriages face test and trials, and mine was no different. In the first year we argued and fought like cats and dogs. She left me a couple of times, but we would eventually make up and try again. In the 5th year of our marriage, I thought things had settled down. We were not arguing as much, and we were going along to get along. All we did was bury the problems.

I was working at a well-known shipping company at the time and one day at work I simply lost it and took out my frustrations on a piece of equipment. I vandalized the equipment and an employee saw me and went and told management. Of course, you know the outcome. YEP! FIRED IMMEDIATELY. I came home from work feeling totally defeated. I had to face my wife and tell her the bad news. I knew that she would be disappointed, but to my surprise she looked at me and gave me a kiss. She told me that everything was going to be alright and that we would get through it. Her response eased my thoughts and as she prepared to go to work it seemed that everything was normal. She kissed me goodbye and left the apartment to go to work. I decided to try to get some sleep because I had been working midnights. I figured that once I got some rest I would wake up and start my job search.

About a couple of hours later I was awakened by the phone ringing. It was a lady asking to speak to my wife. I told her that she was not home and asked if there was a message. The lady began to tell me that my wife could be approved for her new apartment, but she needed to put down extra money for the security deposit. I was half sleep, so what she was telling me was not registering at the time. After I hung up the phone, I started to think about it, and I wondered what she was doing. We were in a financial rut and our current apartment was expensive, so I figured that she was maybe looking for something cheaper for us to manage. But why didn’t she tell me?

When she got home, I gave her the message and asked her what was going on. I can remember that look to this day. She looked me dead in my eyes and told me that she was leaving me, and the marriage was over. I stood there for a moment trying to process what she said. In my mind I was not sure if I should be angry or sad. I was frozen in the moment and I was unsure of my next move or thought. Finally, it dawned on me that the lady said she needed extra money for security. Now, I knew we did not have much money at the time. I was giving my whole paycheck just to pay the bills. Certainly, this news of needing extra money would stop her from leaving me. However, she gave me that look again, and you know what she said? She said no problem! I have been saving my money and I have got everything I need. I wish you could have seen the look on my face. I was utterly dumbfounded because she had been hiding money all along and I never noticed it.

A few days later, she moved out and left me with no job, not much money, and the dog. She moved a couple of blocks away and she did not look back. It was the coldest moment of my life. As I sat there in that empty space, I realized that I was up the creek without a paddle. I did not know what to do. I had so many obstacles in front of me that required action. I wish that I could have just ran away, but that was not the case because I had a little boy who was depending on me to be his dad. I had to overcome the hurdles because he was counting on me.

A couple of days later I got a phone call from a job that I applied for. They told me that I was hired, so one crisis was over. However, I could not afford the apartment anymore, so I knew I needed to move. I found a place, but they did not take pets, so I had to give up my dog. This was tough because I loved that dog. He was my friend and the only one who stood by my side when I was down. I found him a good home and on the day that they came to pick him up I cried like a baby.

My new apartment was not that far away from where I was staying. In fact, it was just up the hill. This wasn't just any hill. If you have ever been to California you know that some areas are surrounded by hills and my area was no exception. This hill was long and the grade gradually increased as you neared the top. Now here is the best part of the story. I did not have anyone to help me move. I could not rent a truck and my car had broken down. She left me with my clothes, the bed, and my kitchen utensils. I needed to get my stuff out because the landlord wanted to get the place ready for the new tenants. I did not know how I was going to move my stuff.

After thinking about my move for most of the day, I decided on a plan that seemed crazy but it was the best that I could come up with. I got a shopping cart from the grocery store and waited for the cover of night to begin my move. I loaded that cart up and pushed it up that hill to move my things even the bed. It was tough because the hill was steep, and I could only load so much in the cart. It must have taken me about six or seven trips up that steep hill. It seemed like an eternity of back and forth, back, and forth. All the time, I was hiding in the darkness because I did not want anyone to see me. The hill was long, and it was steep and every so often I wanted to give up. My legs ached with every step and the cart became an enormous weight against me. As the night dragged on I began to get discouraged, but I pressed on until I loaded the last and final load. The old apartment was empty and as I closed the door I also closed the past. That last and final accent was brutal, but victory was well within reach. I mustered my last bit of strength and at approximately 4am I made it to the top. As I looked back, I felt the victory well up inside of me because the pain was in the past. As I sat inside my new apartment I could see the sun on the horizon. A new day was dawning and a new life was waiting.

Now, as I look back on that moment of pain in my life, I take comfort in knowing that that catastrophic moment in my life was shaping me and molding me into BEING AN OVERCOMER! You see OVERCOMERS are not born, Rather, they are forged in the fires of adversity. Becoming an OVERCOMER is the first step in the process of becoming a leader.