Tested

Out of the fires of adversity, my faith is tested.
From the ashes of trials, a trust is born.
How I respond to challenges in my life,
Determine the direction I will go.
If I wallow in self-pity and self-doubt,
I sink further and further into the abyss.
If I set my sights on things above,
My heart and I survive.

via

Originally written October 26, 2004.