Are you able to bounce back with Resiliency?

Their resiliency was inspiring!

This past week, my boys and I took a vacation to the Redwood Trees in Northern California. Standing next to these giants, I was captivated by their massive size. What impressed me the most was their ability to bounce back after enduring a forest fire just years before.

Resiliency is the ability to recover quickly after life’s difficulties. It is also referred to as toughness or elasticity.

When the hardships of life come storming in, are you able to bounce back with resiliency?

I would love to share some truths from these living towers in the forest that could be helpful for us.

1. The flames do not stunt the growth of this tree. Instead, the heat from the fire causes the seeds to fall to the ground encouraging new growth.

What if the hardest times in your life become the most growing times in your faith?

Maybe the spark of fire is igniting in you a greater dependency on God.  Perhaps the glow is a refiner’s fire, chiseling you into a more compassionate, empathetic person.

2. After the fires, the Redwood trees will re-sprout a new branch off its base usually above the burned part of the trunk. I saw many trees with multiple offshoots stemming from the main body.

What if your difficulties birth new growth in you too? Maybe a new ministry to help others?

As you share how God has met you in your pain, you unleash hope for someone else. Each offshoot is helping another hurting heart and helps bring your healing full circle.

As I stared up at these magnificent Redwood trees, I saw beautiful examples of resiliency.

Just like the fires forged new growth in them, God wants to produce new growth in you.

What if your greatest heartbreak catapults you to your greatest growth?

This is the question I ask on the back cover of my new book, Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength releasing at the end of August (more details coming very soon).

I believe that God never wastes one tear, but instead specializes in bringing purpose from the pain we have endured. Just like these amazing Redwood trees, He wants the fires in your life to become the catalyst to your greatest growth. Will you let Him?

My prayer is that we can bounce back with resiliency as we depend on God’s strength in the middle of our storms.

Love, Jodi

P.S. Our favorite part of the trip was sleeping up in the trees 50-60 feet above the ground!