OVERCOMING ADVERSITY!

Ron Bainbridge

Today’s Message of Encouragement from Discovering A BETTER LIFE MINISTRIES

https://abl-alb.wixsite.com/discoverabetterlife/about

(Stories of Real People, Real Events, Real Places) Is dedicated to HELPING Men and Women Find HOPE

THROUGH SHARING GOD’S GRACE and LOVE

(Ron Bainbridge, Editor) (January 3rd, 2020)

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY!

Friend, I sincerely hope that the story I shall be sharing with you today, about Steven Callahan, will inspire YOU to the realization, that with God’s help, and a positive frame of mind, you can overcome any Obstacle or Adversity you may face in your daily life.

In January 1982, Steven Callahan set sail from the Canary Islands in a small sailboat he'd built himself. His plan was to cross the Atlantic Ocean. He was 30-years of age, fit, capable and looking forward to the voyage that had been his dream since boyhood. Six days later, while contentedly sleeping in his berth, his sailboat struck something large, possibly a whale, which capsized his boat. When Steven was rudely awakened from his sleep by the collision, he had only a few precious seconds to grab what he could, before scrambling to position himself safely aboard a small inflatable dinghy.

Having only managed to grab just a small amount of food and some bottled water, along with a solar still for making sea water potable, and a fishing harpoon gun, Steven Callahan immediately knew that his chances of survival were not very good. However, (although he had no way of knowing it), Steven was about to embark on an amazing journey in self-reliance. It would last an astounding 76- days, and carry him almost 3,000 Kilometres across a vast and frightening sea.

Throughout his ordeal, Steven Callahan constantly faced death, as he fought off sharks, and exhaustion, along with the utter hopelessness of watching a number of ships pass by without even noticing him. But, despite the terror presented in every moment, he held tight to his wits and forced himself to think his way through each situation as it presented itself. For instance, after losing the launching mechanism to his fishing gun, he lashed the harpoon to the gun and used it like a spear, often kneeling motionless for hours, patiently waiting for an unsuspecting fish to swim into the perfect spot before spearing it. And as his body weakened from hunger and the intense and relentless heat of the sun, he scraped small bits of rust from the bottom of metal food containers into his drinking water, hoping that the iron would strengthen him.

Faced with such formidable odds, giving up would have seemed the only rational thing to do for most people, but Steven Callahan was not like most men. He was one of that rare breed of survivors who understands that, we all have within us the power to carry on in spite of overwhelming circumstance. In fact, showing great courage, Steven Callahan became his own survival coach, talking to himself constantly, convincing himself over and over again that he could make it safely through this terrible ordeal.

Well, to cut a long story short, Steven Callahan did survive his battle with the angry sea! Much later, he wrote a book, which he titled “Adrift At Sea.” In this book, he gave an account of how he managed his ordeal. He wrote, "I told myself I can handle it, and compared to what others have been through, I’m fortunate."

Today Friend, I’ve chosen to share this story about Steven Callahan, not only because I personally think his story of triumph over adversity is incredible, but also because I know that on any journey toward success that you and I might embark on, we're bound to come up against obstacles that may, for a time, seem impenetrable.

So, when you find yourself facing seemingly impenetrable obstacles, I hope you will take the time to remind yourself that, (compared to Steven Callahan), your task is really not all that insurmountable after all. In fact, if you are willing to place your trust in God, you'll find a way, against all odds, to beat any obstacle you may be faced with.

Friend, if you would like to receive two Free booklets that can help you to experience the strengthening presence of God that will enable you to cope with the difficulties and troubles in your life, please write to Discovering A BETTER LIFE, P.O. Box 1540, Albany, Western Australia 6331, and request: “WHERE TROUBLE CAN’T HURT YOU” and “When Life Lets You DOWN.”