Every Gray Cloud Has a Silver Lining

The family dog was hit by a car. We got laid off from work. The car died. Mom has cancer. Tragedy rears its ugly head in a seemingly endless array of events. What are we going to do about it? Will we mope and complain about how horrible this world is or will we find some strength from the event? Will we find a lesson to be learned in this classroom we call life? We can praise or condemn, create or destroy, share or horde, love or hate. I believe every moment of our lives gives us the opportunity to focus our decisions in a positive direction. 

When I find myself in a situation where it would be easy to doubt, easy to fold up and quit, easy to point fingers and blame, I remind myself of John Walsh. On July 27, 1981, John’s six year old son Adam was abducted from a Sears department store. Sixteen days after the abduction, Adam’s severed head was found in a drainage canal more than 120 miles away from home. His other remains were never recovered. When you talk about tragedy, it doesn’t get any worse than that. 

So what did John do? He went on to create and host the television show, America’s Most Wanted. America's Most Wanted was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of Fox Television lasting 23 years before switching to Lifetime Channel. John and Revé's efforts also led to the creation of Congressional legislation. They helped create a national sex offender registry, tough penalties for not registering as a sex offender following release into society, and access by citizens to state websites that track sex offenders. America’s Most Wanted has contributed to the capture of more than 1,190 fugitives and has spawned over three dozen local crime fighting shows from coast to coast. 

I don’t think many people would argue that the abduction and murder of a child is the most heinous act one could ever commit. As a parent myself, it turns my stomach just typing this. But John Walsh somehow found the will to wake up the next day and put his feet on the floor. Through his own grieving, he mustered the strength to continue to inhale and exhale, one breath at a time. With the grace of God, he rose above the tragedy and created good from evil. Though the loss of his son will remain a devastating scar in their family’s memory, John Walsh overcame. With his son’s avail, John has helped thousands of other families set closure to their own tragedies.

When we are faced with one of life’s challenges, whether a catastrophe of an oppressive magnitude or just a little blip on the radar, what will we do with it? Will we find direction in the loss? Will we realize that this loss is our own misperception or is it really an opportunity to gain? Will we condemn, destroy, horde, or hate or will we remember John Walsh and praise, create, share, and love? I challenge you to find the sacred message in your tragedy and co-create with God something venerable. Our perception of adversity is but a mask of illusion waiting for us to sense the divine truth that lay behind it. Our decisions have the potential to move us along our sacred contract within our divine purpose. Make them wisely and with courage.