--- id: 20151001_forced_opportunities title: BLOG - Forced Opportunities category: Biblical Life Counsel predicted_narrative_arc: crisis-to-surrender-to-thankful-living sentiment: Convictional emotions: - Vulnerable - Hopeful - Grateful keypoints: - Houston energy layoffs show that career change can be God-presented opportunity - Dean's prostate cancer diagnosis with a grim prognosis collapsed self-reliance - Self-pity gave way after a prayer of total surrender to God's charge - Recovery followed confession of inadequacy; opportunity became living for God - Readers are urged to take advantage of opportunities God gives summary: > Amid Houston energy-industry layoffs, Dean Rush counsels that God often presents opportunity when outlooks are worst. He recounts a prostate cancer diagnosis that left him with little hope of living two years, a descent into self-pity, and a prayer of surrender that shifted him from burden to contributor — urging readers to seize the opportunities God gives. tags: - blog - human-resources - opportunity - cancer - surrender - providence - houston - calling - dean-rush sycophancy: 0 truth_score: 8 entropy: 3 sample: false consent: owner_approved agent: blog created: '2015-10-01' updated: '2026-09-09T00:00:00Z' vault_stage: 07_CODEX headwaters: BLOG prefix: BLOG enrich_status: ok enrich_blockers: [] enrich_method: manual pipeline_filename: BLOG_2015-10-01_forced-opportunities.md source_kind: blog_article proposed_topic: Wisdom lane: Wisdom voice: desk active_voice: desk voices: - desk routing_source: carbon corpus_topic: Wisdom content_status: active date: '2015-10-01' share_url: https://deanrush.net/blog/forced-opportunities source_url: https://deanrush.net/blog/forced-opportunities site_category: Human Resources archive_month: 2015-10 description: > Dean links Houston layoffs and his cancer crisis to God-forced opportunity — surrender replacing self-pity so life becomes contribution under the Lord's charge. --- # Forced Opportunities **Author:** Dean Rush **Original post:** [deanrush.net/blog/forced-opportunities](https://deanrush.net/blog/forced-opportunities) **Archive month:** October 2015 · **Site category:** Human Resources > Voice note: Everything under **Dean's article** is Dean's original prose (lightly cleaned of HTML/image artifacts only). Sections marked **Biblical foundations**, **Scholar sidebar**, **Takeaways**, and **First-time learner** are enrichment for Asker / first readers — not Dean speaking. --- ## Biblical foundations (preface) Dean names two pressures — economic layoff and mortal illness — and treats both as places where God can force a new definition of opportunity: surrender, then thankful contribution. The enrichment below supports his testimony without romanticizing suffering. | Dean's claim | Scriptural undercarriage | | --- | --- | | Hard seasons can open new paths God intends | Joseph's "you meant evil... God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20); Romans 8:28 | | You are not trapped in one career forever | "To everything there is a season" (Ecclesiastes 3:1); the Lord directs steps (Proverbs 16:9) | | Self-pity is not the last word; surrender is wisdom | Humble yourselves under God's hand (1 Peter 5:6–7); "when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9–10) | | God is in charge when we are not | "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away" (Job 1:21); trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5–6) | | Life spared is life for contribution, not burden only | Present your bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1); redeem the time (Ephesians 5:15–16) | --- ## Dean's article ### Opportunities Affect Life ![Directory / opportunity image from Dean's original post](https://deanrush.net/Portals/0/images/article/directory-466935__340.jpg) I currently live in Houston, Texas and while the rest of America is enjoying very low fuel prices, our area is experiencing a tough economy. There are massive lay offs from every direction in the energy industry and more coming. I often hear people say we cannot make it without a job and my advice is concise. You don't have to stay in the same career and, sometimes, I believe God presents us with opportunity when our outlook is the worst. ### Problems Become Opportunities Sometimes the economy forces us to look for new opportunities. Many years ago I developed some businesses and was working hard to grow those enterprises. I felt somewhat successful but still wanted to make the ventures bigger and more profitable. Feeling tired and losing weight, I went to see my family doctor. I was, surprisingly, diagnosed with a serious form of prostate cancer. The doctors announced that I had a very small chance to live more than 2 years. > **Scholar sidebar — When the worst outlook becomes a doorway** > Scripture never pretends crisis is pleasant; it does refuse to let crisis have final authorship. Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28 hold God's providence over human harm and hard seasons without calling evil good. Dean's counsel to laid-off Houston workers — you need not stay in one career; God may present opportunity when outlook is worst — sits inside that providence frame: new paths can open when old ones close (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:1; Proverbs 16:9). ### My Perception of Opportunity Changed Dramatically You might imagine that the future looked very dreary and I began feeling sorry for myself. I increased my depression by engaging huge doses of self pity. I was ready to give up. My wife and children were doing everything possible to help but my future looked dismal. After finally reaching the darkest period in my life, I was alone and wanted to express my feelings directly to God. I remember telling Him that "I have messed up my life. I can't control anything. I am worthless to my family, and, Lord, you are totally in charge. I cannot make it any farther on my own." ### Opportunity then meant Living for God As I remember the next few days following my confession of inadequacy, there was a massive change in my attitude towards life. I was able to replace pity with thankfulness for the opportunity to live and be with my family, my life, and my friends. I finally had realized I could not make changes on my own. He, **The Lord God Almighty,** was totally in charge and I was not. Shortly after that prayer of submission, I began to recover. Opportunities God presents are massive His donated assets of health and life even with me. He gave me an opportunity to contribute rather be a burden. Thank you Lord. ### Take Advantage of the Opportunities God Gives You! > **Scholar sidebar — Confession, then contribution** > Dean's prayer echoes the end of self-sovereignty: "you are totally in charge." 1 Peter 5:6–7 joins humility under God's hand with casting cares on Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 reframes weakness as the place Christ's power rests. Psalm 116:12 asks what to render to the Lord for all His benefits — Dean's answer is contribution rather than burden. Thanksgiving replaces pity not by denial of cancer, but by relocating authorship of the next chapter. --- ## Takeaways 1. **Layoffs can be forced openings.** Dean tells Houston energy workers they need not stay locked in one career when God presents new opportunity. 2. **Problems can become opportunities.** His own doorway was not a market tip — it was a cancer diagnosis with a two-year outlook. 3. **Self-pity deepens the dark.** Family help mattered, but the turn came when he stopped only rehearsing worthlessness. 4. **Surrender renames opportunity.** Confessing God's total charge shifted pity to thankfulness for life, family, and friends. 5. **Spared life is for contribution.** He thanks God for the chance to contribute rather than only be a burden — and urges readers to take God-given opportunities. --- ## First-time learner ### What is Dean saying in one sentence? When jobs collapse or health fails, God may be forcing a new opportunity — and the doorway is often surrender that turns self-pity into thankful contribution. ### Why tell a cancer story next to layoffs? Because both strip the illusion of control. Economic and medical crises teach the same lesson in Dean's telling: you are not finally in charge — and that confession can open a different kind of opportunity. ### Key verses to read with this post - **Genesis 50:20** — God meaning good through harm. - **Romans 8:28** — All things working for good for those who love God. - **Proverbs 3:5–6; 16:9** — Trust; the Lord directs steps. - **Ecclesiastes 3:1** — Seasons under heaven. - **1 Peter 5:6–7** — Humble yourselves; cast your cares. - **2 Corinthians 12:9–10** — Strength in weakness. - **Romans 12:1** — Living sacrifice. - **Psalm 116:12** — What shall I render to the Lord? ### A simple practice If you are in layoff, illness, or another forced stop: (1) name the loss honestly to God without polishing it, (2) pray Dean's core admission — "Lord, you are totally in charge; I cannot make it farther on my own," (3) ask for one next faithful contribution to family or neighbor this week, however small. ### How this feeds Ask Dean Seed material for questions such as: *What does Dean mean by forced opportunities? How did cancer change his view of God? What should I do after a layoff?* Keep his testimony primary; scholar notes support providence and surrender without promising identical medical outcomes.