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Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 7.53.58 AMI wrote the post below before I heard my amazing friend Christine Caine preach last night at the First Conference at Gateway Church.  She’s been speaking into my life for so many years. Her message about how my miracle needs a miracle broke my hard heart.  Surely my flour and oil will not run out and my miracle will be restored.
Thanks to Christine for helping me grasp hold of my promises! She put a bounce back in my step today.
You can watch last night’s message by clicking here.
Now onto my post!
resilient: able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching or being compressed; able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions;flexible, supple, strong or tough
Screen Shot 2016-01-04 at 10.44.37 PM
Adversity can and does come just like a hot, loud and fiery dragon.  It threatens to conquer. But just like this little soldier, you have I have all we need to overcome.  You and I possess the shield, sword and helmet that ensure our ability to bounce back.
A couple of years ago I heard my friend Christine Caine, share a message on remaining youthful in our spirits.  She compared the signs of aging in our human body to the loss of zeal in our spirit.  She had a long list of “symptoms” including loss of resiliency.
Over the last few months of my cancer treatments, I’ve grieved a bit over my lack of resilience.  It’s frustrating to find that you can’t force your body to recover as fast as you would like.  I am very aware of my physical weakness and that I am not moving as freely, as fast, or as confidently as I desire.
The physical impact is hard but I am more concerned about my spiritual resiliency.

As I’ve been walking through this season I notice that my heart is a sad and disappointed.  I can’t believe I am here again.  I don’t like the fact that my body (my brain) is taking it’s own sweet time to heal.  I want a recovery that is quick and easy, permanent and inexpensive.  I want to get up and go rather than lay down (or is it lie down?) and rest.

So I’ve been asking God about my heart.  How do I become more resilient?

God just keeps taking me back to the same answer – patient rest.

When your body does not recover quickly you must give it more time, healthy nutrition, the proper exercise.  So it is for the soul as well.  I need more patience with God’s work in my life, greater consumption of the Word of God and the simple daily pattern of choosing to exercise my faith.  This is how I “square up” while I wait on my  healing.

There is a promise in the Word of God that says if I wait on God, He will renew my strength.  Here is Isaiah 40:30-31 from The Message.

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, (Jan)
    or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
    He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. (He’s resolute.)
    He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. (He’s resilient.)
    And he knows everything, inside and out. (He’s aware)
He energizes those who get tired, (He’s powerful.)
    gives fresh strength to dropouts. (He generous.)
For even young people tire and drop out,
    young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
    They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
    they walk and don’t lag behind.

So I’m learning how to be both brave and strong in the face of adversity.  I’m leaning into the strength that comes from trusting God alone and pulling on the eternal nature of my heart – which does not have to age or grow brittle.  I’m pressing my natural body to keep standing, keep walking, keep rising.  I am determined to bounce back and be renewed.

Do you bounce back from adversity? You will if you rest in God alone and wait patiently upon His strength.
Let’s  square up both in body and soul.  He will make us strong.