It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Resilience. I have been told on many occasions I am resilient. During good times, during bad, I always hear that word. “You got to where you are because you are a resilient person.” “You will be fine, because you are resilient!” I slowly started to hate the word, because I felt maybe I was enduring disappointments because God knew I’d bounce back.
I know that wasn’t the case. And, I know what you’re thinking. “Kirbie, don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t the worst thing you could be called.” Trust me, I’ve been called some things. And sure, there are worse traits to have, but I didn’t want to be the butt of all situations just because God thought I wouldn’t have a meltdown. I’m always flattered when people tell me I am a strong person, but then I hear ‘resilient’ and I get all nauseous. But the thing about God is that he knows everything about us and everything we are feeling. Those feelings are especially important to him, and he wants to guide you and bring you peace. But when you’re upset about something or life isn’t going how you think it should, you tend to wonder why you’re the one having to go through it.
For me, getting over trials and tribuations that I have encountered hasn’t ever been an option. It’s just been something that’s a normal piece of life’s puzzle. I didn’t think this was particularly interesting until I started hearing the word “resilient” from people, and they would tell me how they were letting things majorly affect their attitude and quality of life. This made me realize that perhaps being resilient wasn’t so bad after all. And I largely attribute that to my hopeful nature and faith in God.
I totally feel like Tyra Banks right now. She always turns thing around to make them about her and how she’s so amazing — it’s so ridiculous but hilarious at the same time. I’m not trying to do that. However, this is my blog. I’m detailing personal experiences on here so that if anything, I hope I can help someone to keep their hope and faith in tact.
How has my hope and faith kept me ‘resilient’? Well, even when I’m anxious or impatient, I hope that there is a lesson being learned, or that eveyrthing is happening for a reason. This stems from faith. In my life, without fail, when something doesn’t go as I see it, it’s happening for a very divine reason. It always ends up for the better, even if I’m wondering how at the time. I have to truly believe these things. Otherwise, I have a feeling I’d be pretty lost and helpless.
Hope is so important to have. How would the world be if we didn’t hope for the best? Hope for the better? What if we stopped hoping for cures for cancer? Or stopped hoping for change? While many may add that you can hope, but as some point you have to take action, it starts with the hope that God will provide some answers. I agree, action must be taken at some point, but you don’t just get lucky and overcome a disease my osmosis, or attain a better job by not wishing for something better. You have have to have hope that something great is coming.
As far as luck goes, I have learned that it isn’t a part of the Christian vocabulary. I know many people attribute their successes to being “lucky,” but I assure you that God didn’t let them succeed by chance. It is all a part of His plan for them. Preparing for something and allowing the right timing to follow doesn’t mean you’re lucky. It just means that God saw it as the right time!
Hoping and keeping the faith. I guess this plays into the negativity thing I discussed in the previous post. How are we supposed to live positive lives without hope? Think about it: if we didn’t have hope, our mother, whom was just diagnosed with breast cancer, might as well be long-gone. If we didn’t hope that she’d go into remission, what else is there? How about if she does pass away. How are we supposed to forge on during what is sure to be a difficult time without faith? What about not landing that job we wanted and being told “no” a thousand times? Or ending a relationship that meant a lot to us? These things can tear us up. But if we don’t have hope that everything is going to work out just as it’s supposed to, we keep our sights on our emotions and not on God’s plan.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)
Faith is so important because means that regardless of the circumstance, what we’re going through or how we’re feeling, that we put total trust in God. That no matter what might be going on around us, internally we understand that it’s all happening for specific purpose. This means especially during times when there is nothing going on: when things are still. We live in a world of instant gratification and tend to think if we don’t see immediate results or get immediate answers, that we need to seek them ourselves. I would strongly advise against this. We must learn patience! Even when it seems as if nothing is happening, God is stirring and will present Himself in his own time. That’s the thing about God. We might think he needs to give us a resolution tonight, tomorrow; the sooner the better. But it’s better to patiently wait until the timing is right. This is something I struggle with daily, but I know it’s a lesson learned in due time.
I know at our age, it’s easy to wonder what the heck we’re doing. “What am I doing with my life? Where am I headed? How will I get there? Is this even the right decision?” But with a deep-seeded confidence in God, I know that he’s going to guide me on all of my travels and all of my paths. He is going to oversee that I live to my full potential, according to his will. I’m going to have to be patient, I’m going to have to be understanding, and I’m going to keep having faith. This will keep the resilience alive in all of us, even during times where we wonder when we’re going to bounce back.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Kirbie Johnson 