Resiliency through the Storms of Life

By Camille Brooks

My hyacinth bulbs were blooming beautifully when a late snowstorm hit. After the snow had melted, I found some of these lovely flowers flat on the ground. The weight of the snow was too much for them and they fell flat in the dirt, unable to recover. 

It caused me to wonder. Was I like these flowers? Do I sometimes break under the weight of hardship? How strong is my marriage? How strong are my children? Am I resilient when things get tough? 

When I was a child I always wanted to grow up and live in a European chalet with window boxes and hanging baskets adorning the cottage. This is because I love flowers. They fill my heart with joy and you know how picturesque a cottage arrayed with flowers is. Who wouldn’t want to live in a Thomas Kincade picture?

Well, I do not live in a quaint European chalet, but I do strive to grow beautiful window boxes and hanging baskets even though I live in a desert with no humidity, which is hard. I have found that I have to water them every 24 hours or they wilt and never recuperate. 

I have often thought how similar this is to my spirit. If I go longer than 24 hours without connecting with my Father in Heaven in prayer and scripture study I begin to wilt. I am not at peace and it is harder to see the joy in my life. If I were to continue with this neglect of my spirit, with the next storm of life, the weight of affliction could flatten me to the earth just like my hyacinths. 

I have found that daily habits of religiosity help keep me resilient when the storms of life hit. I am ready for them. Because I connect with God daily, I feel his closeness and his love. I see evidence that he is watching over me. I feel peace instead of fear, and contentment and joy instead of anxiety.

Do we not want this for our loved ones, Resiliency? Isn’t that what every parent wants? Competent, confident children who are at peace with themselves and happy and resilient no matter what life throws at them? 

Our marriages and children need the same care as my flowers to be able to stay emotionally and spiritually strong and resist wilting when life gets hard. This covid 19 experience is giving families a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time together where nurturing can occur. 

If we have not been in habits of daily worship, we can use the time we have now as individuals and as families to connect with God. Then when this virus passes and it will, we can keep the good habits we have started. Our families will remain resilient, strong and at peace when the next storm of life hits. More importantly, connecting with God each day helps us find more joy and peace in our daily lives, and who doesn’t want that?

If nothing else, this virus should have caused all of us to slow down and take a look at what is really most important in our lives. Family worship, quality time and quality conversations are to family members what water is to flowers.