Resilience

“And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” 2 Corinthians 1:10 NLT

“The greatest faith is born in the hour of despair. When we can see no hope and no way out, then faith rises and brings the victory.” Lee Roberson

What’s stopping us?

Old stories about our past. Whenever I’m under pressure or need to make a difficult decision, my brilliant mind brings up all my failures.  And my mind isn’t very nice about it: “You dummy, when will you…”When this happens, paralysis takes over.

Obsessing about the past or the future. We’re to learn from the past –not beat ourselves with it. As for the future, every step forward is a foundation for future accomplishment.

Needing control. See above, old stories and obsessing.

Needing certainty. If I needed certainty, I would never have had children. See above—Needing control.

Needing approval. We all need support, good counsel, affection and information. I would not have become a Christian, married, or had horses if I needed approval. Calculating risk is the best I can do.

Perfection. There was only one perfect person—it’s not me.

Plain, old weariness.

Time for reflection. Keeping a journal will help us see all the times the Father has rescued us and most of the rescues are very subtle. Some may call it serendipity, luck, or being at the right place at the right time. We know better. Peeking into the past for affirmation of the Father’s work in our lives and not our old stories can encourage and comfort our hearts.

Seeking control without self-judgment brings us right back to Who is God and who is not. This can bring tremendous relief. We then have the energy to do what is under our control.

Approval-seeking leads to perfection-seeking. Not possible. The Father approves of us because of our faith. (2 Corinthians 10:18)

Weariness. Paul counsels us to not lose heart or grow weary because we will reap a harvest. Every spring, I’m pruning, digging, feeding, and even talking to my roses. Weary? Exhausted? You bet! So I look at pictures of my flowers from days past while sipping on my Selzer and orange, take a break, and get in the dirt again. I remember it’s the Father who causes the growth.

Musings

I know we’ve heard it many times, but it’s true, “It came to pass” is the verse to hang onto when resilience is needed and is usually quiet and subtle. Miracles do happen but not in the way we expect. Subtle is the “small whisper” we need.

Prayer

Dear Father,

During these war-torn, upsetting, and restless times, we want to quit. Then we remember Your Son who did not quit. We remember the times You’ve brought us through dark and turbulent times and we are humbled with thanks.

We only have to carry our burdens for today and we have Your help to do so. Resilience.

Amen.