Getting to "Resilient" at this Point

As I was interviewing our June cover story, Martin Willoughby, local attorney, he mentioned that this book had been a life-changer for him, I knew I had to read it. Gordon MacDonald's books, The Life God Blesses and Ordering Your Private World had been those kinds of books for me years ago, and I was anxious to read this one.

The sub-title is "You Can Move Ahead No Matter What." I think this is another one of those books that go in my stack on the floor...the books that I constantly go back to time and time again because the message so resonates, I sooooo need to remind myself of these wise things, and the words are forever fresh. I can't really imagine why Martin who is YOUNG even read this book except that he is all about the big picture of life and he tries to live so very intentionally. (You can read more about him in the June issue).

But the book is aimed at people my age who are asking the question, "What next?"

I like the concept of resilience and I think it is so very Biblical.  When Paul talked about God working all things together for good in the lives of those who love God...well, I believe resilience definitely is a big part of the equation. I mean, how hard is it give thanks in all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5:18) when you are crying your eyes out over a loss or a crisis? Part of resilience is a little determination to remember that God IS God, but much more is pure grace that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly and beyond all we ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)

The consolation for me in getting older is that I have a backlog of life lessons - up close and personal - and I would not take anything for them because every hard thing brought me closer to the reality that God's promises are true and that apart from him (John 15) I don't manage so well.

Disruptive moments

I have spent a considerable amount of time the last few weeks either ducking in the bathroon with Daisy and Thurber or glued to the weather information while ducking tornadoes. Spring in Mississippi is definitely a mixed bag. Having lived through the 1971 tornado in the Mississippi Delta, I tend to pay attention to the Weather Channel.

On my way to Birmingham last weekend I rode through the storm ravaged McFarland Boulevard area of Tuscaloosa. My daughter lived there for two years during graduate school at the University of Alabama. The reality was chilling...and much worse than the pictures on the news. I could not begin to guess where I used to turn to go to the house where Betsy lived during grad school. All the familiar landmarks were completely obliterated. Without the landmarks, I was so lost.

Set me thinking. We need those landmarks in life. God never meant for us to get so comfortable on this earth that we forget that it's all temporary. Every now and then He seems to emphasize that concept...but it is soooo hard for us humans to really get it. I am as attached as the next person to the shiney, pretty, great stuff of this life. But an F-5 tornado can wipe it all out...anytime...short notice. Nope. The Only real thing in this life is the next, and NOTHING can separate us from that one. It would be good to spend more time thinking about that fact than worrying on most of the stuff we stress over in this life.

National Day of Prayer

May 5 was the National Day of Prayer. It was the first time I have ever participated in the program on the south steps of the Capitol in downtown Jackson. I grew up during the days we were all encouraged to love our country and to consider patriotism a virtue.  I felt a tremendous surge of that old patriotic emotion as I listened to the fervent prayers from a diverse group of citizens - we were legislators, business owners, pastors, black, white, men, women - just citizens who want to be one nation under God with liberty and justice for all.

God bless the United States of America.