Setbacks are Not the End of the Story

Like many, I was amazed to see the actor, Jeremy Renner, out in public so soon after being crushed by a snow plow back in January. He sustained multiple injuries, including over 30 broken bones. He is in pain every day as his body works on fully healing, but he isn’t letting this setback hold him back! No, this is not the end of his story.

I saw a brief clip of an interview with him at a launch party of his new show, and I loved what he said, “I thought at the age of 52, I had done and see it all. I’d lived life. What new could there be? Well, now I’m here to say all I see is wonder.” He’s gained a new perspective on life, but he had to fight for it.

I don’t know what your life has looked like, but mine has been hard. I feel as if I go from one difficult challenge to the next with very little breathing room in between. Yet, I don’t give up. I suspect Jeremy Renner will use this experience to form a new passion of helping others survive such tragedies.  God doesn’t waste anything, and we can rest in the truth that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes what feels like the end is the beginning of something new.

Physically, I have been told three times in my life I was “done,” and it should have been the end. The first was a serious back injury in my 20s where I was never going to be able to exercise or do outdoor activities again. The second was a severe case of Lyme disease in my 30s that went six years undiagnosed, and it consumed by body to the point where I had a death sentence. The third was Rheumatoid Arthritis in my 40s, one of the worst cases my doctor had seen, and I would be in a wheel chair within a few years and dead within ten. This doesn’t even include my professional and personal setbacks! Just like Jeremy Renner, I had to choose to live and fight for my life.

None of these was the end of me – God saw to that! Instead, God used me to inspire and encourage others on their journey through the written and spoken word. I have a greater sense of compassion for those suffering from illness, and I have a burning desire to help improve the quality of people’s lives and businesses.

Often times what feels like a setback is really a “set-up” for something God has in mind and in store for you. I do confess I wish He would give me a heads-up sometimes and maybe just a hint of the ultimate plan, but this is where our faith comes in. We must trust the Map Maker! We don’t know the way, but we know the Way Maker.

The last eight years have been riddled with job loss, financial insecurity, frustration, discouragement, and additional health issues. I feel like my life is on the ICU floor of the hospital, which is where Jeremy was for a long time. He even wrote out his final will and requests “just in case.” He didn’t give up, and it wasn’t the end but perhaps the beginning of a new Jeremy Renner!

I’m not giving up either, and I know God is taking care of me just like the ICU nurses did for Jeremy. The process is often much slower than we would like, but God will bring us through. Perhaps you need this reminder today as well: If God is for us, who can be against us? God doesn’t bring you into a situation unless He has a plan to bring you out! He will never, ever forsake you! God works everything together for His good…we just need to trust in Him.

I pray you hold on to your faith and lean into God today. What feels like a major setback is God at work, setting you up for something great! This is not your end, my friend! Look for the new beginning through the ashes.

Sometimes having a coach to share life’s struggles with helps keep perspective. As a coach I have a wide-range of life experiences as well as training and certifications, all of which equips me to support you, encourage you, and cheer you on. I’d love to walk along side of you. Give me a call, and let’s chat!