Resisting and Resting in Resilience

Ten months into my 2022 One Word Journey provides me with much to ponder. Looking back, I treasure lessons learned on the fragility of life, unpredictability, adversity, and strength. But this month, summing up my journey so far, I realized much time was also spent resisting and resting in resilience.

The lessons so far, speak deeply into my life. I created a special page on my blog where all my Resilience posts live, please take the time to read past posts for more insight into my journey.

resilience reality

As with other One Words, I sometimes slip into approching them as acquisitions: a character trait in which I am deficient and must improve. Certainly the case with 2021 One Word, Joy, in the end, I understood Joy, a gift of sanctification, dwelt with me all along.

Upon my introduction to my 2022 bold friend, Resilience, I headed down the road in search of something I already possessed.

But as our acquaintence grew, my resilience reality shifted my perspective to a better understanding of not only the purpose of Resilience, but the time spent resisting and resting in resilience.

For while we may possess a certain character trait, good or bad, we also possess the ability to nurture or negate it. Join me as I explore the ways in which I cultivated Resilience in my journey, and the ways I squelched it.

Ultimately, resilience is learning from your past rather than resenting it.

Reverend Scott Taylor

resisting and resting in resilience

Overall, certain behaviors and attitudes either resist or rest in Resilience. Recognizing in which lane I am travelling gives insight into my default behaviors and responses as well as a deeper understanding of my One Word Friend.

After some time in reviewing Resilience lessons so far and pitfalls I encountered, I came up with the following list of resisting and resting in Resilience behaviors.

• Self-pity Resists. Topping the list is a default response to adversity of self-pity. Sinking into self-pity resists Resilience by stubborn focus on the problem or adversity and its “unfairness”.
  • Fortitude Rests. Opposing self-pity, fortitude focuses on solutions to problems, and calls on courage to navigate adversity. Fortitude rests in Resilience by embracing the growth hidden in challenges.
• Fear of Change Resists. Viewing change in the status quo or new challenges through fear, leads to a negative outlook, resisting Resilience’s work of building mental strength confidence, and trust in God.
  • Acceptance Rests. Accepting new challenges and releasing fear and negativity surrounding change rests in Resilence. A willingness in meeting new situations and stretching my abilities gives me a confident, positive view of change, while allowing Resilience to build flexibility.

She who has not been tried, what does she know?

MJ Abell

• Control-seeking Resists. A control focused mindset zeros in on wishing the problem away or different, instead of preparing to meet and navigate the problem. Control-seeking resists Resilience’s invitation to growth through adversity.
  • Release Rests. Acknowledging God’s sovereignty and goodness on the hard paths yields to Resilience’s work in releasing control to God’s perfect will.
• Entitlement Resists. The notion or expectation that God or anyone owes me a certain outcome or privilege resists Resilience’s work of humilty by excessive self-focus.
  • Humility Rests. Shifting my perspective from self-focused expectations, releases the humility focus of Resilience freeing me to serve and give to others regardless of whether I receive what I think I deserve.

the rest of resilience

More than any other of my One Word companions, my journey with Resilience requires the back and forth wrestling so necessary for true growth. At times confronting me with the unpleasant reality of negative behaviors, hindering my progress.

While at other times fortifying my resolve in trusting God for the outcomes and shadow places still not visible.

Ultimately, even through the effort of resistance, Resilience continues its gentle work of wooing me into the rest of surrender: the surrender of submission to the transforming power of suffering in the hand of a sovereign God.