Resilience definition: Capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation; tending to recover or adjust quickly to misfortune or change.

This concept showed up several times the past few days, and I believe I have some of this. We all do. There is always room for growth, especially in bouce-back-ed-ness.

Saturday, I went for an extra workout at my friend Jon’s gym and on the whiteboard, he had written the word resilience with the above definition. Later in the day a longtime friend, Tim, shared a short video on the five pillars needed after the age of sixty. Tucked in at number four was mental and emotional resilience. Also, a blogpost from a long-ago friend who is a therapist popped up in my email. One sentence read:

“This could mean transforming a memory of helplessness into a recognition of your resilience and bravery in facing tough situations.” Travis Crotser.  

Last night another friend,Tom shared a quote from Hemingway, so I googled the ‘old man’ and one article was entitled Resilience, Experience, Absurdity—the philosophy of Ernest Hemingway.

This morning Tom shared Romans 5:3-5 CSB

“And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, (Resilience) and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Setbacks are a given, no?

Lord, teach us the way of resilience, increase it in our lives to produce proven character, solid hope, because of your poured out love in us for Jesus sake. Amen