08/30/2026
๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฌ
๐ฅ ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ข๐บโ๐ด ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ญ๐ด ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธโ๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ค๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ฆ๐ด
In June 2018, Tiran Jackson and his wife, Maleka, traveled to the Bahamas to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.
During a boating excursion, the boat exploded.
Maleka was killed. Tiran suffered severe injuries and lost his left leg.
Yet out of unimaginable tragedy, Tiran chose resilience. He rebuilt his life and ultimately turned his experience into a mission of encouraging others.
Glen Gould used Tiranโs remarkable story in his devotional last week to illustrate a powerful truth:
โ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชโ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐.โ
Using James 1:2-4, Glen encouraged us to consider how โ and a positive, thoughtful perspective โ can shape the way we respond to job-search and career challenges.
Hard seasons aren't necessarily wasted seasons. They can develop maturity, resilience, character, and readiness for what comes next.
๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐บ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐บ๐ด
โ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ. The same situation can feel crushing or constructive depending on how you respond to it. Job search is difficult, but that difficulty can develop strengths you'll need in the future.
โ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น. Tiran's story reminds us that adversity can produce extraordinary growth, leadership, and character. That doesn't minimize the pain. It demonstrates what can emerge from it.
โ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐. God may be using today's struggles to develop the person you need to become for tomorrow's opportunity. Keep moving. Keep growing. Keep trusting.
. . . .
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ข๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ
Glen illustrated the power of perspective with the story of two shoe salesmen sent to the Australian outback.
The first reported: โ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ'๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ. ๐ก๐ผ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฒ๐!โ
The second saw the same situation and exclaimed: โ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐! ๐ก๐ผ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฒ๐ โ ๐๐ฒ๐!โ
๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐. โ
๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ.
Tiran chose to . He began publicly sharing his story, established a scholarship endowment in Maleka's memory, became a motivational speaker and life coach, and wrote .
When you're discouraged by rejection, unemployment, or other career setbacks, remember Tiran โ and the second shoe salesman.
โ Persevere with faith.
โ Choose your perspective.
โ Keep moving forward.
Today's trials are developing the strength you'll need for tomorrow's opportunities.
โ What challenge in your life could look different if you changed your perspective?