Resilience

It is so funny how we can be going along living life, and right in the middle of our stride, we can encounter calamity. Not always is it rough stuff; sometimes it’s more of an inconvenience than anything else. And then there are those devastating things that happen in a way that it takes us by storm.

What do you do? If I could get a dollar for every time I have asked that question, I could purchase a new car. You think you are ready for anything and then out of nowhere there are things that come that you never could have imagined.

Loss of a job at the most inopportune time, the loss of a love one, betrayal in a relationship, serious health issues, are all examples of what I am talking about. Of course, there are so many more and I am certain that those reading this, can recall, or are living through their own devastation.

What do you do, is a real question during these times. I don’t care how strong you that you believe that you are, or how holy, there are things that have the capability of rocking your world as you know it.

The most important thing is to strive not to stay there. “Don’t Stop Where It Happened!” It would not be realistic to think you could go through life, and never be shaken. Life has the ability to throw things that are absolutely tough. It’s just not healthy mentally or physically to stay there.

This is where I hold tight to Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When I get to the word “future,” I think about something my grandmother used to also say, “If you can look up, you can get up.”

Having a strong network of family and/or friends that you trust is more precious than gold. These are people where you can lay down your burdens and gain support and perspective. Those types of people make up the most valuable support systems one can have. Believe it or not, when we are in a tough spot, we don’t have to bear it all alone.

With our support systems, and our go-to encouragement team, our prayer warriors, we must continue moving in a forward direction. Yes we grieve our situation, and yes recovery can take a bit of time, but it is important to find resilience. It’s important to rejoin our lives.

There is purpose in our lives, as long as we have life. In all that we endure, we must return to our life and the purpose for which we are born. We must pay attention to what we have survived, and gain the testimonies that lie within.

Someone dear to me shared something powerful with me that I want to pass on to you, her words caused me to pause. She said, “There are two days in your life that are more important than any other; the day you were born and the day you find out why!

Tanya Wilson