| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Resilience” Our Bible verse for today: “You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance; you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy.” Psalm 30:11 (GNB) Our thought for today: “Sorrow into joy, sadness into dancing.” You probably noticed that although we’ve begun a new month, we have not begun a new theme. That’s because I think there’s more that needs to be said about resilience. Especially now, as we’re going through what some negative individuals insist on referring to as “the dark days of a difficult winter.” I don’t like that term. The days are difficult but as we’ve learned, resilient Christians eat difficult days for breakfast. Resilient Christians can handle tough times and not just survive, but thrive. So, let’s continue thinking about what resilience is, what it looks like in actual life, and how we can develop more of it. Without question, one of my favorite books about what it looks like to live the resilient Christian life is “You Gotta Keep Dancin’” by Tim Hansel. Seriously, you’ve got to get this book! It’s a short and easy read which is inspirational and fun. You’ll be glad you read it. Tim was an outdoor adventure guy who led a ministry which took Christians on outdoor adventures so they could explore God’s beautiful creation. At the same time, they would engage in a deep and introspective discipleship experience. On one such excursion, Tim had a rock-climbing accident which left him disabled and in daily pain for the rest of his life. After working through both the physical and emotional trauma of the accident, and after finally coming to terms with the fact that disability and pain were realities he was simply going to have to learn to live with, Tim decided he wasn’t going to just live with it, he was going to thrive through it. Long story short, Tim spent the rest of his life as a writer, motivational speaker, and something of a comedian. By means of his strong faith, along with determination and resilience, the Lord turned Tim’s sorrow and pain into a life of dancing (figuratively) and joy. The book is his story and the life lessons he learned as a result of it. It’s an inspirational story. Regardless of what you’re dealing with in life, it is possible to not just survive but to thrive, and the Lord will help you do it. He will turn your sorrow into joy and your sadness into dancing. In the days to come we’ll see what we can learn about resilience from some of the hard-won wisdom of Tim Hansel. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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