The Journey: Hope in the Midst of Impossibilities

By Dr. Yvon J. Henrilus

"Being born in an impoverished country, living with sickle cell disease, and being told that I would not live to see my sixteenth birthday had been the sources of my inspiration. I had big dreams despite no logical reason to be hopeful. Through this book, you will learn God has a plan for your good and bad times. Those who hope in God may enjoy the hope, joy, and peace that surpasses all understanding in Him, (Phil. 4:7) even in the face of awful, tragic, and humiliating circumstances."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669804185

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Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Yvon J. Henrilus.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 01/10/2022

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New International Version (NIV)

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King James Version (KJV)

Scriptures taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

American Standard Version (ASV)

Scripture taken from the American Standard Version of the Bible.

Darby Translation (DBY)

Scripture taken from the Darby Translation Version of the Bible.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 While You’re Hurting

Chapter 2 You’re Unable to Carry Your Own Cross

Chapter 3 Winning over Temptations

Chapter 4 Lay Down Your Guilt

Chapter 5 God Can Use You in spite of Your Weakness

Chapter 6 God Had Neither Forgotten nor Forsaken You

Chapter 7 Will God Ever Answer My Prayers?

Chapter 8 The Trap

Chapter 9 Jesus and Storms

Conclusion: Parting Words

Introduction

I am deeply honored to write this book to you as I want you all to understand that God has a plan even in the face of impossibilities.

We are all confronted with tough conditions in our daily lives. Sickness, heartache, death, failure, and disappointment are all things that we experience. Your path is paved with hurdles, and your most difficult times are those priceless moments that propel you forward to your destiny. Recognize that for every failure you experience, there are a slew of other people in your immediate vicinity who are going through something very similar. You won’t be able to comprehend the extent of the suffering that is taking place all around you, but it is there. When things go wrong, we must maintain our faith, even if there is no compelling reason to do so. You fall off a bicycle when you stop pedaling, and the guts to get back up stronger after falling is the mark of the greatest achiever. Similarly, if you keep pedaling, you will never end up falling off a bicycle. No matter what obstacle you are facing, do not be scared to face it head-on, remain solid, and never give up. Quitting is the most excruciatingly agonizing manifestation of sorrow. Don’t let the thought of quitting consume your thoughts. Don’t give up on yourself because you didn’t achieve your goal or obtain what you wanted; instead, be strong and fight for what you want no matter how far away it may seem. You can put your faith in God since He is omnipotent. God will provide you with guidance on a continuous basis. So don’t be concerned about anything at all.

We all think that God instills dreams in our hearts and writes a destiny for our lives in the stars above. If you have a dream, don’t just sit there and think about it. Gather the confidence to believe in your ability to succeed, and then work tirelessly to make that belief a reality. Unfortunately, the path that leads us to the promise is always strewn with thorns and thickets of vegetation. It is rare that something worthwhile comes easily or without opposition. Storms will roll in, lions will roar, and we will be forced to face our anxieties head-on. God allows the way to be difficult because He wishes to refine us and prepare us for the place of promise that He has promised us. He is determined to extract from us that which our adversary would love to use against us in order to win the war. While good fortune can be a blessing, the majority of life is a labor of love. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down; what matters is that you get back up. And if we put our faith in Him and believe what He says, we shall find ourselves on a road toward the realization of that desire. The person who falls and gets back up is more resilient than the person who never tried. Instead of being afraid of failing, be afraid of not trying.

Sometimes the only way out of tension is to go through it; sometimes the only way to overcome obstacles in life is to battle through them. Many times, adversity can be used to teach us a valuable lesson. We have the option of either learning from this experience or dismissing it.

Take the initiative and be powerful and courageous! Keep calm and carry on, since your God has a plan for your good as well as your bad, plans to provide you a future as well as an opportunity to flourish!

Chapter 1

WHILE YOU’RE HURTING

Each and every one of us is suffering in one way or another. Each and every person is in the same boat. Even the jovial or upbeat audience is feeling the strain. They try to keep their hurt hidden by drinking and joking around, but it won’t go away on its own. Who is it that is hurting? The prodigal son or daughter or the prodigal son’s or daughter’s parents. Millions of parents have been severely harmed by their children’s refusal to listen to their suggestions. Those devoted parents are distraught at the deception and misbehavior of children who were formerly tender and good in their eyes and hearts.

Victims of fractured families are in great distress. The abandoned wife, whose husband abandoned her in favor of another woman, is in great distress. The husband who has lost the affection of his wife is in pain. Children who have lost their sense of security are suffering. Another group of people is afflicted with disease: cancer, heart disease, and an assortment of other human ailments. It must be terrible to be told by a doctor that you have cancer and that you might die. Despite this, many people who are reading this book have gone through similar suffering and agony.

A husband or a wife or a lover or girlfriend walks away, stomping on the foundations of what was once a wonderful relationship. All that is left is a heart that has been broken and damaged. And what about those who are out of work? Who are the gloomy ones whose aspirations have come crashing down? Who are the shut-ins? Who are the detainees? Who are the alcoholics? Yes, this is correct! Each and every one of us is suffering in some way. Every person on the face of the globe carries his or her own load of suffering and hurt. I also have my own load of suffering. When I was eleven years old, I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease and informed that I would not live to see my sixteenth birthday, but God gave me a second chance, and I am still alive.

When you are profoundly harmed, no one on this planet has the ability to keep your innermost fears and deepest agonies hidden. Even the closest of friends cannot truly comprehend the struggle you are going through or the wounds that have been inflicted on you. Only God has the ability to shut out the waves of melancholy, emotions of loneliness, and feelings of failure that might wash over you. Only faith in God’s love has the ability to restore a damaged mind. It is only through the miraculous action of the Holy Spirit that the damaged and shattered heart that suffers in silence can be healed, and nothing less than divine intervention will truly bring healing.

God must intervene and assume control. To do this, He must intervene in our lives when we are at our most vulnerable state, extend out His loving arms, and take that aching body and mind under His protection and