“Hunting the Good Stuff”
Bonnie Brae Park, Denver
WHERE: Bonnie Brae Park
WHEN: Anytime—but a nice sunny afternoon
BLESSED SPOT: The bench at the cross street of Bonnie Brae Blvd. and South Elizabeth
Bonnie Brae Park
“Resilience is very different than being numb. Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail, you hurt. You fall. But, you keep going.”
― Yasmin Mogahed
Bounce Forward—Not Back
I recently read about a mind-blowing little critter—the Planarian worm. He has been coined the “immortal worm” for his fascinating ability. If you can get your hands on this little dude and chop him in half, he will re-grow his head and tail and become two versions of himself. If you snip those guys in half, they will do the same—this can go on endlessly. In an experiment, researchers sliced and diced until thousands were originating from the first. While learning about Mr. Planarian, I came across yet another creature with a crazy superpower. She is a box jellyfish—nicknamed the “immortal jellyfish,” and when she is facing danger, has been damaged, or feels like she needs a refresh, she just converts back to being a baby and does it all again. Those are quite the do-overs, aren’t they?
After a year of weathering Covid and all the other trials that life has brought us since early 2020, I have been pondering what keeps us plowing ahead, getting up every day, and hoping for something better. What pushes us forward when we are cut in two, damaged and worn out? It is our superpower—resilience, and everyone possesses this magic. Some of us are acutely aware of our ability to bounce back, and others of us are still on the floor in pieces. But, we all have this gift within us.
But how do we harness our resilience, and maybe not just bounce back—but bounce forward? I don’t want to end up in the exact spot I was when I entered my challenge, struggle, or trial. I want to land transformed and renewed. When the Planarian was cut and beaten down, he became twice as strong, three times as strong, one thousand times as strong! And, that tiny jellyfish, when she faced a challenge—she decided to refresh herself, give herself a restart, and she began anew.
We have a superpower—transformation
I love the Message’s translation of Psalm 30:5 ”The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.” To grow, transform, and strengthen may come at a price—sometimes we pay the price, and sometimes others pay it on our behalf. But there is a promise in that verse—a renewal of joy and laughter. Resilience doesn’t mean you skate past your trial; it means we traverse through it, feel it, grieve, cry, and scream until we emerge transformed and renewed. Michelle Obama stated, “grief and resilience go together.”
I listened to a few TEDx talks on resilience and was struck by what Dr. Lucy Hone presented. She lost her daughter in a tragic car accident and was faced with all the debilitating grief, anger, and loss that comes accompanies that. She outlined:
Shit happens. Trauma does not discriminate. Trials are part of the human condition.
Resilient people choose where to pay their attention and can reframe their experiences. As Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Resilient people “hunt the good stuff.” They look for places to be grateful, moments of joy, hidden gifts, and treasures. We can adopt a mindset that looks for the signs and gifts God is leaving for us at difficult junctures. We can look for meaning in the madness.
Resilient people take deliberate inventory of their actions. She would often ask herself, “Is what I am doing helping me or hurting me?” This simple lens is compelling. She would evaluate her responses, behaviors, and actions through that filter. Sometimes a mindless TV show is truly what I need, and other times it might be keeping me from a beautiful conversation.
Since I was young, I heard messages about gratitude and thanksgiving and always believed I had to be thankful for EVERY situation; every good thing and every horrible thing. But, what I got wrong was God commands us to be grateful IN every situation, not FOR every situation.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks IN all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Corrie Tenboom was a holocaust survivor; in her book “The Hiding Place,” she recounts a story about her powerfully resilient sister. She would thank God for everything, including the lice that infested their barracks and bodies. This was baffling to Corrie, and she could not understand why she would thank God for these nasty creatures. Come to find out there was a hidden blessing in those bugs. Because the infestation was so horrific, the guards would leave them alone at night. They had a respite in the evenings to read smuggled bibles, pray, and sing without being caught and beaten. Corrie’s sister was thankful IN her situation—not FOR her incarceration.
I found it impossible to thank God for losing a family member to Covid last year or somehow be grateful for a friend who lost her hands and feet due to a destructive infection. I am, however, learning how to thank God for my friend’s perseverance, faith, and hope —and be so utterly thankful for my mobility. I am thanking God for the rich heritage left behind when a beloved family member passed away.
We might not be able to regenerate a lost limb like the immortal worm or revert to an infant and do it again—but we have an even more powerful ability—we can be transformed and renewed through Christ. These verses are filled with promises of renewal:
Ezekiel 36:26—I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.
Philippians 1:6—There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
2 Corinthians 5:17–Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons!
As resilient human creatures, we can become better versions of ourselves through gratitude, faith, trust, reframing, and being present with ourselves. We can bounce forward and beyond—not back. We have a God who is in the business of healing us and making us NEW creations.
I am praying for you today as you face the trials, struggles, frustrations, and maybe the most significant obstacles you have ever encountered and asking our powerful God to ignite your resilience. I am praying you feel God’s love for you through a powerful reframing of your current situation. Ask yourself what else could be happening, what else might God have in store for me, what is he teaching me today?
Why this spot
This neighborhood is a favorite of ours to walk Hazel around. The curvilinear streets are really beautiful, and the houses are equally as fun to look at. Take your time, stroll around the streets, find the park, spend a few minutes on the bench, and then go find Bonnie Brae Ice Cream!
I walked around this bench 7 times praying:
That you would feel your resilience rise within and feel it like goosebumps on your skin.
That you would realize all you need to do is just pray one small prayer
That you would know what to be grateful for in (in the midst) your situation
That you would feel in your soul that joy is coming for you
That you would feel so blessed if your joy has come
Things you can do:
Make a list of 3 things you are thankful for today
Share with someone else what joy you are experiencing today
Watch the TedX talks: Charles Hunt and Dr. Lucy Hone
Remember God is bigger than C-19 and has something for you to learn from it
