{"id":648,"date":"2010-06-22T15:48:21","date_gmt":"2010-06-22T15:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/redletters\/2010\/06\/are-you-defined-by-adversity-or-opportunity.html"},"modified":"2010-06-22T15:48:21","modified_gmt":"2010-06-22T15:48:21","slug":"are-you-defined-by-adversity-or-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/redletters\/2010\/06\/are-you-defined-by-adversity-or-opportunity.html","title":{"rendered":"Are you defined by adversity or opportunity?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cape of Good Hope is one of the southernmost, and most beautiful, places in all of South Africa. From there  you can look out upon the meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. You are standing on the edge of a continent at the edge of the world. It is breathtaking. See for yourself.<\/p>\n

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Originally, a Portuguese navigator named it the “Cape of Storms.” The navigator–who would have been intimately familiar with the wicked storms in this area–described the reality of his situation. It’s a cape filled with storms.<\/b><\/p>\n

It was later renamed the Cape of Good Hope by a Portuguese king who saw that trade with India and the East was now possible. And that held a good hope for Portugal.<\/p>\n

One man sees the terrifying reality of navigating a dangerous passage. Another man sees the promise of reaching new lands filled with exciting opportunity.<\/p>\n

Are you defined by adversity or opportunity? <\/b>

<\/b>Millions of orphans are defined by the challenges they face in the “cape of storms.”   Those storms rage around them every day. Rape. Poverty. Slavery. Hunger. Disease. Abuse. Death. They cannot escape this stormy reality on their own. <\/p>\n

Sadly, millions of children live in the cape of storms. They not much different than my son Gideon in the video. When you meet them and talk to them, they brim with the excitement and wonder of childhood. <\/p>\n

Apparently no one told them that the odds were definitely not in their favor.<\/p>\n

I think they know, instinctively<\/b><\/u>, that they were made and meant for rescue. They hold hope in their little hearts that a better tomorrow is just a sunrise away. <\/p>\n

The question is, will you accept the opportunity to rescue a child?<\/p>\n

<\/b>If we rallied together with the same focus, energy, and passion as the fans here for the World Cup, the U.S. Church could rescue every orphan in every country. Because if we don’t, who will?<\/b><\/p>\n

Consider these opportunities:<\/p>\n