Saturday, February 6, 2021

Dave Lincoln

Resilient Faith

One definition of “reflections” is looking back.. as in remembering ..in this context the following is submitted.

One other caveat.. this combines two topics.. RESILIENT AND FAITH

RESILIENT.. I remember driving north from York, 10 years ago the morning after big ice storm. Passing thought a birch forest, many were bent.. some almost to the ground. Three weeks later , on the same road to the Habitat- build , most birch trees were almost straight. Nature in action.. as grass recovers from an errant footstep.

FAITH … A man I knew for many years, always signed his notes and letters…”Keep The Faith”; friends, who replied in kind, who seemed to always be offering a helping hand to others.

The man I remember had a life full of ups and downs.. economic ..education, marriage, health, vocation; yet after every “downer” he seemed to come back more positive than ever. he seemed to be living the Faith… looking forward to the next chapter, recovered from the current problem, with a emotional resiliency.

Interestingly , the man I remember, had two jobs, one each, winter and summer, that involved working , mentoring and guiding youth… in a prep school and a Church camp. I now suspect that the repetition of FAITH from his youth , as leader of the church camp and in his correspondence, refreshed and guided him in difficult times. This resilient bouncing back, looking ahead was a lifelong habit!!

As I develop these thoughts , I wonder if the native RESILIENCY we all have, combined with the forwarding looking, active FAITH, allows us to develop, and change many lives as we go forward.

I thank my father, (the man I remember) , for stimulating these thoughts, and St Johns for the opportunity to share them

In closing …David Lincoln ….. KEEP THE FAITH