Our son, Jediel won a resilience award in his recent running competition representing his school against other schools in the area last October. He finished last but he was awarded just the same because he competed and finished the race, despite his chest pains. He fell off badly the previous day, and being hardly athletic and not physically gifted, did not stand a chance to win. He did not mind though, he just wanted to run and finish a 1.3 km race. You see, Jed has been diagnosed early on, while he was 2 years old with a learning disability, and yet as we look at him now, we see a champion overcoming his limitations. Resilient indeed!
If there is one word that describes our stay here in Germany, it will be the same word-resilient. Not giving up even when the odds are stacked up against us. I was supposed to be sent alone for my third post in Singen and then it was miraculously changed to a 2-year expatriation with my family. During our time here, challenges mounted up in the office with the major structural changes, which caused me to have 5 bosses over the span of 2 years. We did however manage to break some ground with our Bible studies with a few of my office mates. Jediel integrated well in his school, making friends and keeping up with his classes.
In recent months, my benign symptoms of stomach pain and dizziness were being dismissed as stress and pigment of my imagination for several years, until it was fully diagnosed that I had an extensive endometriosis which necessitated a 10-hour surgery in July. Recovery took time, gratefully with full compensation and some months of contract extension in the midst of ongoing therapy treatments and transfusions. While it sounds so calm to share my story, behind the scenes it took a lot of heated discussions and arguments and unexpressed anger before the agreement was finally settled.
After having received God´s healing mercies in my body, I anticipated an avalanche of good news coming our way on the work front. There was a looming assignment here and there and to our dismay, all good wishes turned to naught. It broke more than our hearts, (especially mine which for now, is beyond comfort); but we take the decision as God´s direction in whatever form it appeared – a broken promise, a false hope, a firm and uncaring judgment, a sneaky stab in the back, change of prioritization or a fickle change of mind. Through this difficult experience, we acknowledge that God still is seated on His throne. He is in control. He has never ever left or forsaken us all of this time and He never will. After all, that is the basis of resilience. It is not the amount of your faith that will make you keep on with the Christian life but it is the object of your faith – the unchanging God who loves us even when our dreams are shattered, and assures you with these comforting words: “I know what is best for you, my child!” We hold on to the verses found in Habakkuk 3:17-19
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of olives shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold; and there shall be no herd in the stall: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord my God is my strength and he will make my feet like hinds feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”
- Bible, Habakkuk 3:17-19
Hinds feet are resilient feet – surefooted whether the trails are even or crooked, safe or unstable, plains, valleys, mountains or hills. They are nimble and swift to enable in the catching of the prey or stopping the attack of predators. When life puts you down, stand up on your hinds feet and walk on high places -the places of security, protection, provision and peace. As for me, there is only one place; the place where you surround yourself with GOD`s abiding Presence!
Join us this coming Sunday for the special Carol Service as the Singing Christmas Tree Choir ministers to us and my husband encourages us in the Word at this wonderful time of Nativity under the title of “The Genealogy of the King” from Matthew 1:1-17.