‘Tis the season for plasticware! One of our family’s favorite parts of the holiday season is gathering with friends, often swapping tasty morsels as we break bread together.
It is not uncommon for our home to be filled with a variety of plasticware near the end of the season. Of course, one question accompanying many of these gifts, is “Do you think they want this container back?”
Why do people love plasticware so much? There is at least one simple reason: plasticware bounces back. In this week’s video, Liliane, leader of our guest hospitality team at Hope Haven Rwanda, demonstrates the value of resiliency.
If someone drops a beautiful, dainty china dish onto a cold floor, it will dissolve into thousands of microscopic pieces. If we drop plasticware on the same cold, hard floor, it will simply bounce back—without a scratch!
When we think of “fitness” we think of increased strength, stamina, etc. There are clearly many benefits of physical strength. But in the darkest hours of emotional, spiritual or psychological trauma, physical strength is of little value. In those hours we discover there are different types of strength. And during those dark hours, inner strength, emotional, psychological and spiritual resiliency have been proven to be much more valuable than outer strength.
As the Apostle Paul noted, when we have the hope we celebrate this Christmas season, we naturally possess more inner strength and resilience. He wrote, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Inner strength may be vitally important as we face some of the painful parts of this season. Sometimes gatherings of family are not filled with joy. Many families face conflict and inordinate stress instead of the peace and joy they long for.
In the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War, dozens of Prisoners of War found that they possessed unbelievable inner strength and many of them reported it was their faith that got them through. These Prisoners of War had simple worship services every Sunday. In one camp, whoever the senior POW leader for the compound was would make some kind of signal they all recognized and they would stop, bow their heads in their cells and pray the Lord’s Prayer. Their “resilience” and hope for rescue one day enabled them to endure unimaginable pain and trauma.
What we believe about God and our future hope shapes what we value, and forms the foundation for our beliefs and perspective. May this Christmas season be filled with the hope provided by authentic faith for your family!
How can we encourage those around us in their faith so that we can all “bounce back” like Christmas plasticware this season?