Adversity, Affliction, Trouble

I once read the story of a distinguished botanist who was exiled from his native land obtained work as a gardener.  On one occasion his employer received a valuable plant but was unfamiliar with its nature and needs.  When he placed it in the hothouse under the glare of the sun, it soon began to wilt.  It appeared to be dying, so the new gardener was asked to examine it.  Quickly identifying its origin, he explained, "This is an arctic plant which cannot thrive in this tropical heat."  He immediately took it outside and exposed it to the frost, heaping pieces of ice around the flowerpot.  Before long it became healthy and flourished again. (Author and Source Unknown)

Next Sermon Illustration on Adversity

 
38401: Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks on CD-ROM: 400 Attention-Getting Stories, Parables, and Anecdotes Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks on CD-ROM: 400 Attention-Getting Stories, Parables, and Anecdotes
By Zondervan Corp.

400 attention-getting stories, parables and anecdotes for youth groups on one convenient CD-Rom. Now available are all four popular volumes of Hot Illustration of Youth Talks. All the illustrations come from the personal files of youth ministry's best speakers -- just what's needed to put a spark into youth talks and ignite the passion to follow Christ. Features include: 400 illustrations topically indexed. Easy-to-use search capabilities. Customizable for large or small groups of middle or senior high youths. Bonus "mad-lib" illustrations for extra spontaneous fun. For Windows 95 and higher, 64 MB RAM, 2MB hard disk.