The Resilience of a Sponge
The definition of resilience is the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress. In other words, the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched. Elasticity and buoyancy are synonyms to resilience. Resilience originates from the Latin word resilire which means to jump back, recoil. This word derived from the word re-salire which means: to come out again.
Sponges are great examples of resilience. A sponge after being squeezed (compressed), twisted, and tortured returns to its original state. While there is a definite limit to the abuse it can take, the sponge is resilient and "Bounces Back" to its initial form. We can learn much from the sponge both in its natural state in the ocean and its commercial state with which we are more familiar. The living sponge we find in the ocean regenerates itself when cut from its base for commercial use. The treated sponge we buy in the store is remarkable in its ability to store water and to return to its original state (Bounce Back) after being used and abused.
The word resilience has been appropriated to talk about human experience. We can talk about resilience in terms of physical health. In this case it would be the ability to recover readily from illness, adversity (as injuries), or the like. Some recover faster than others. Furthermore, some recover better than others. There may be many variables to compromise our health and physical resilience. Pretty much what ever compromises our health can also affect our resilience. Another factor can be age.
Resilience is most commonly used in psychological terms. "Resilience" in psychology is the ability to recover readily from depression, adversity, or the like. It is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. It is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and adversity. This recovering, adjusting or coping may result in the individual "bouncing back" to a previous state of normal functioning, or using the experience of exposure to adversity to produce a "steeling effect" (becoming like steel) and function better than expected (much like an inoculation gives one the capacity to cope well with future exposure to disease).
Our lesson says that the story of Job offers a supreme example of resilience. Earlier in his life, Job had understood that God is merciful and righteous. He did not understand the reasons for his suffering: his children were killed and property destroyed, and he did not find support from his wife; and then he contracted a horrible disease. (The loss of ten children in one day was enough to break the spirit of most mortals.) And yet, somehow amid it all, he never lost his faith in God and endured until the tragedy ended. What we learn from Job is that his resilience came from his belief about God, which was based on how much and well He knew God. Job knew that God would in the end vindicate him. That is why Job was able to say: "Though He slay me yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). We learn from Job, and it should be comforting to us, that even when every human soul has forsaken us and we are tempted to believe our case is hopeless, God understands what we are going through and He stands by our side. He weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice.
Returning to our sponge example, Job was squeezed (compressed), twisted and abused. However, by the grace of God, Job was able to "bounce back" to his former state. We can bounce back too if we allow the Holy Spirit to give us that capacity. Ellen White says, "In these dreadful hours we must learn to trust, to depend solely upon the merits of the atonement, and in all our helpless unworthiness cast ourselves upon the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour" (Ellen White, God's Amazing Grace, p. 114). This is the secret of resilience.
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Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com
