by Abi Fletcher
Resilience is a word that I feel much of my life has been marked by. It is something many people must build up in their lives. Few people learn to master this art, and even fewer are born with a natural knack for it. By definition, resilience means the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
As great as it may sound to say this, resilience usually comes from multiple past experiences that we all go through—experiences that build us up. We all make mistakes or face a series of trials as we go about our lives. This is inevitable simply because we are human. However, resilience is built by learning from our mistakes and making the conscious choice to keep pushing forward. It helps us grow into who the Lord has called us to be and encourages us to bring others along with us.
I first learned about resilience at a young age, though I was not aware that it was a lesson I was learning at the time. My family and I made a series of big moves that came with many challenges as young girls. Challenges like leaving all you know behind, learning to start fresh and make new friends, getting really good at accepting change when it comes, and learning to adapt. It was all hard—and all very real reasons to shut down and not open back up to the new world around me each time—but that is not what the Lord calls us to do.
In 2 Corinthians 4:16 it says, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being made new every day.” This verse speaks about resilience and the art of not giving up. As a Christian, I know that my eternity is secure in the hands of the Lord and that my spirit is made new each and every day. This motivates me to keep pushing forward.
Whether that means learning to open back up and not being afraid to say hi first as the new girl, trying new hobbies when I had to leave my old ones behind, or looking for my new favorite places—like parks or coffee shops—when we moved towns, I know that I can, because Christ already has. That is how I keep my head up and push through each day. I do my best to glorify the Lord and honor Him in all I do, and He guides me the rest of the way.
