As I work from my kitchen table with a marvelous view of this magnificent, sun-shiny day, I want to get up, go out, and converse with some of my neighbors who are gathered across the street chatting. But danger is lurking! The number of countries reporting infection from COVID-19 has reached 185, the count of those affected grows daily, and the fatalities are mounting. Those numbers alone glue me to my chair, and I just keep on keyboarding. Yes, I am lonely. Yes, I need fresh air. Yes, I could use some exercise; but outside my safe environment, the danger of dying from an illness I can avoid is still there.
This whole thing is going to take some resilience to get through. It is going to take the ability to grab the hand we have been dealt and play it so that, in the end, we will not just win, but we will be better than when we began. After all, perseverance develops character. We’re going to have to believe that life is still worth living, that we have a purpose and God is achieving that purpose in us, that we have a future that’s worth hanging in there for, and that God will bring it all together. On the other side of this pandemic, we are all going to have some stories to tell.
I know it is true because God has shown me that a time or two. One such instance was when my husband, children, and I were serving as missionaries in Mozambique. On the night of January 20, 2000, four robbers armed with AK-47s entered our home. In the brief minutes they were in our house, they shot and killed my husband. Did I feel threatened? Yes, I was trembling uncontrollably. Was I in danger? Yes, they could have killed me, too. People have asked how I got through that experience. It is a long story, so I will share just a few bullet points to testify to God’s provision of resilience in the face of danger and its aftermath:
- God did an amazing work in my heart. This work allowed me to forgive those who perpetrated this dreadful deed and then go on to testify of God’s goodness throughout that night and the years since. Resilience enabled me to live with this adversity in such a way that my spirit came out unharmed and, in some ways, even better for the experience.
- Just so you know, everything did not fall into place all at once. There was a lot to work on, from dealing with PTSD to what do with the rest of my life. In the middle of it all, I knew that God was not through with me yet. The passion to reach the unreached did not die with my husband. Resilience made it possible for me to face difficulties with patience and courage. Resilience did not let me give up because I knew God had not given up on me.
- God deserves so much glory because He removed the trauma of that dangerous night. It seems impossible, I know, but not even once in the twenty years since January 20 have I experienced even one bad dream related to that event! God answered those prayers I prayed over and over before sleeping. Resilience allowed me to rebound from this trauma.
- I claimed Philippians 1:21: “For me to live is Christ; to die is gain.” The death part was for my husband; I knew he had gained. The living part was for me; I was determined to make life worth living. Christ was/is my motivation. God would not let me give up. Resilience created in me a tenacious spirit. Life was worth living, no matter the odds.
- Philippians 3:13 is another verse that kept me going: “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” This clear vision and purpose made me more resilient.
- I have been blessed with a tremendous community of support from the very beginning of this twenty-year journey on which God has put me. Even now, in the middle of COVID-19, that community is still available online, by text, and phone. Let us be there in times like these when we are needed. Community builds resilience in on another.
- Another word of encouragement comes from Isaiah 40:29-31: “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” It all goes back to God. He is the one who provides the strength to be resilient.
- From the year 2000 onward, I have clung to Nehemiah 8:10: “Grieve not; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” I determined early on not to waste my time looking back, thinking what could have been, or even what I thought should have been, but instead to embrace the joy God has given me. The joy of the Lord produces resilience.
- Romans 8:28 continues to hold true: “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.” For me, the cornerstone of resilience is the faith that God is still in control.
Father, You are the One Who builds resilience in Your children. Thank You for that. Help us to be faithful and obedient to You, even in these dangerous times of COVID-19. You are our shield, our protector, and our strength. Help us not to give up during this challenging time. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.