THE HIDDEN PATH OF ADVERSITY ebook

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full — abundant life!”
JOHN 10:10B

In June of 2009, my family and I were down to our last $700 — that was all we had! The housing market collapse had wiped us out!

I wasn’t supposed to be in such a desperate situation. You see, in 2002 I opened my very own residential design firm, and I had achieved much success designing multi-million-dollar custom homes! I graduated from one of the top architecture schools in the country, and worked hard in the housing industry learning how to be a great architect. So, when I opened my own firm, I was ready to succeed.

And I did — phenomenally! What I didn’t know was that my architecture firm was built on a ticking time bomb. The housing market “bubble” was growing every year into a monster that would soon cost Americans almost $10 trillion dollars of their wealth. The housing and credit market collapse was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression — and the longest! And my young, little firm was unknowingly situated right in its path.

And so, in 2008, when Bear Stearns collapsed, I lost 60 percent of my business in one month. Only five months later, Lehman Brothers collapsed causing me to lose 90% of my business before the end of that year.

I was in complete panic mode! I could see everything slipping away faster than I could do anything about it. I lived with a daily sense of extreme fear and anxiety, desperately trying to find work. It was like I had a large weight on my shoulders that just kept getting heavier and heavier. Most people I knew in my industry were going bankrupt all around me. They were losing all their money, losing their businesses, losing their homes — even their marriages were being destroyed because of this nightmare!

So, when I was down to my last $700, it was game over for me and my family. That was when I realized I couldn’t pay the mortgage to keep our home. I couldn’t pay for my family to have medical care. We barely had enough money for food! How could this have happened? We were at the end of the road, and my family and I were about to be destroyed by the worst financial collapse since the Great Depression. But God was up to something that I didn’t have eyes to see — yet.

You see, I’ve always sought God with everything I’ve got — as best I knew how. And so, as this crisis was crashing down on us, I went to God for help and direction. Turns out, that’s exactly what He wants us to do!

So, while I was in full panic mode, God was just waiting for me to let Him come through for us! And He did! He started doing and revealing things I never could’ve imagined. In my darkest hour of the housing market collapse, God started bringing me more business than I had ever closed — and none of it was seed I had sown! He saved me and my family with miracle architecture deals — like manna in the housing market wilderness! It was amazing!

But the best part of it all was that God was teaching me how to find a hidden path in the midst of my adversity. There’s a hidden path in everyone’s adversity. There’s a hidden path in yours too. It’s the path to abundant Life.

I have always wanted the abundant Life Jesus promised us in John 10:10. In fact, I’ve searched for it more than anything else in life. And the older I get, the more I want it. I ache for what Jesus offers in Matthew 11:28-30:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” — JESUS (The Message)

Live “light” and “free?” Heck yeah, I want that! I’ll bet you want it too. Don’t we all? Yet being tethered to a world where success and contentment aren’t guaranteed no matter how hard we attempt to achieve them can make this unbelievable offer seem just that — unbelievable. But I can tell you it’s real! I spent decades on the same never-ending treadmill you’re probably on right now. You know the one where you chase after expectations and outcomes that always seem out of reach, never truly delivering what you really want. How about we leave that exhausting treadmill behind and find the path to abundant Life Jesus promised all of us more than 2,000 years ago? My quest to discover this elusive treasure started at a very early age. As a child of missionary parents, my life began immersed in Christianity — in a good way (it can get a bit twisted up for some). My mom led me to Christ as my Lord and Savior while sitting on the blue and white tile floor of our home in the Dominican Republic when I was just three years old. It’s the earliest memory I have to this day. And even as a young child, I remember the intrigue of God’s promise, and the desire to discover it for myself.

But no matter how “good” I lived, the prize of happiness and peace remained out of reach. And as an adult, no matter how successful I became, security and validation were frustratingly fleeting. Yet, the treadmill of life’s expectations didn’t slow down or stop — it just kept speeding up on me!

Then, as I described above, something big happened in my journey — adversity! Fourteen long years of it! Despite all my efforts to find abundant Life, I was suddenly thrust into the exact opposite experience. I couldn’t believe it! I was wracked with confusion and frustration. Yet my adversity drove me to take a deeper look at the Bible to see what God had to say about my undesirable situation. My relentless search revealed how adversity is a consistent and necessary part of God’s work in the lives of His followers.

Adversity is necessary? Yes, but don’t panic. Adversity is not God’s desire for our lives — abundant Life is! But as we will discover throughout this course, adversity is the best way for God to lead us to the abundant Life He promises. You see, through all my adversity, God led me to the fulfillment of my truest desires. And He continues to bless me with His goodness beyond my expectations. I want you to have that same relationship with God in your life!

He longs for that as well. He’s been saying it for thousands of years. We just haven’t been able or willing to hear it. I know I wasn’t!

“I’m taking her back into the wilderness …I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.” HOSEA 2:14 (The Message)

Now, if the idea of necessary adversity upsets you, well, you’re in very good company. I’m not happy about it, and neither is God. It’s certainly not how He intended things to be. But in my own adversity, here’s a secret I discovered to be true: The very thing we desire the most — abundant Life, Life to the full — can only be found through the necessary work of adversity.

You see, I never intended to write a book or create a course because adversity was not part of my “life equation.” But the life- changing realities of my adversity have given me a passion to help those struggling as I have, to discover a new path.

In this course I will reveal:

• why adversity is required to gain abundant Life
• how to make it through the wilderness of adversity
• how God gives us the desires of our hearts — abundantly!

God’s core desire is to see His creation living abundantly happy, peaceful, secure, and meaningful lives. It’s always been His desire, and always will be. He never changes. So, take heart! That which you desire the most is what God has for you. But because of one massive disconnect in us all (which I get to straight away in chapter one), the path to abundant Life is far different than we think.

That’s why few find it.

Will you journey with me — into the wilderness of adversity — to discover this hidden path and find the life you were created for? I can’t promise you it will be easy. In fact, there will be times when it will be very difficult to accept what’s in this course. But I can guarantee that if you stay with me — and do the necessary “heart work” — you will find the hidden path and the abundant Life you were born to live.

Ready? Let’s go!

You can also access Mark’s 8 session course at this link: www.HiddenPathCourse.com