Encouragement

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Not Letting Setbacks End Your Dreams
© 2006

by

Stephen A. Peterson


While enroute back to Oklahoma from military duty in the Middle East, I had the opportunity to watch the History Channel’s “American Eats” in the Cincinnati-Covington Airport. I learned that Thomas Cravell was a New Yorker who like many Americans during the Great Depression had no job and was virtually out of money. However, what Carvel did have was his car, a small trailer home and a carload of ice cream he had made the day before and was hoping to sell in New York City.

Confident that people would enjoy and buy his ice cream on a hot New York summer, Carvel planned to visit as many parks and picnic ground throughout the New York City area. He never made it. During the drive, one of the tires of his Model A Ford blew out on the trailer he had built. He found himself stranded with no money; no spare its and no equipment to repair the flat or tools to change the flat even if he had a spare. What he did have was a great deal of ice cream that would melt if he did not either sell or keep it frozen.

As the History Channel commentator went on to explain, the owner of a pottery making business saw what had happened to Cravel and decided to help him by hooking up his trailer to his shop’s electricity. Without money to pay the potter, Carvel gave him a taste of his now soft ice cream. The potter liked what he had tasted. The two men came to discover that the sell of Carvel’s ice cream would benefit them both. Carvel worked with the potter then set up his ice cream stand at that location. This location gave Carvel the opportunity to experiment with materials in the potter’s workshop. As Carvel continued to test a variety of devices, he eventually discovered a device for dispensing and selling soft ice cream. This device and Carvel’s recipe became the tools for Carvel’s industry flourishing to become America’s largest ice cream chain of stands throughout the Eastern United States.

This story was fascinating for it is one instance of many throughout the history of humankind about a person who refused to view a set back as a failure but as an opportunity to seize upon. This is a story that states loud and clear that defeat can be turned into a resounding victory. We who are Christians know that Jesus Christ suffered the world’s worst defeat at the hands of evil, scheming humans and satan for three days but gained the greatest and eternal victory over death, evil and sin with His Resurrection. Christ’s victory should be a reminder to every Christian when hard times come your way. Merely look up and know that Christ experience and suffered setbacks but he never gave in or up—ever! For He knew as we should know that suffering means that He loves us and that He getting us ready for a new and much better experience or mission! Therefore, let not your heart be troubled during trying times!!!

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