The Blessing of Adversity: Finding Your God-given Purpose in Life's Troubles

Most people see trouble as something negative and seek to avoid it whenever possible. But what if it’s those troubles that actually lead to greater blessing and purpose? In The Blessing of Adversity, a retired U.S. Navy admiral and the 62nd chaplain of the U.S. Senate distills the wisdom gained from thirty years as a counselor, theologian, and psychologist. Barry Black offers a blueprint for removing the sting of life’s trials, showing us how to let God use our pain for his glory by blessing others―and how that can actually help heal our own pain. Drawing on Scripture and his own experiences as a counselor and chaplain to some of the most powerful people in the world, Black teaches us how to deal with seasons of God’s apparent silence, offers techniques for staying encouraged in the middle of life’s storms, and shows how to find advantages in adversity.

Barry Black is the only African-American admiral in the history of the US Navy Chaplain Corps. He is also the only African-American to be appointed chaplain of the US Senate. Born into a single-parent home in the inner city of Baltimore, along with seven siblings, he went on to earn doctorates in both ministry and psychology. He has preached on every continent, including Antarctica, and is in great demand as a speaker. He has also written three other books, From the Hood to the Hill, The Blessing of Adversity, and Nothing to Fear. Currently, he cares for the spiritual needs of the US Senate, where he has served as chaplain since 2003. Barry and his wife, Brenda, parents of three adult sons, reside in Woodbridge, VA.