‘Ruralites’ and the Resilience Factor (Peter Black)

The characteristic known as resilience involves our lives numerous times on any given day. From the time we cuddle a sponge-filled toy as an infant in the cradle, we experience resilience. As a toddler in the bath, under the watchful eye of our mom or dad, our cute rubber Ducky floats within our grasp.

We reach out and grab him. When we squeeze him, Ducky squeaks, so we let out a squeal of delight. When we release our grip he squeaks again and the impression in the rubbery material disappears. Among other factors pertaining to the physical properties that enabled our rubber Ducky to spring back to its original shape is that of resilience. This quality is also at work in a bouncing ball. 

Courtesy of Pikmin.wikia.com

Our lives and the physical properties of items we depend on every day are intermingled. From the springs in our bed to the suspension springs in our car, from the six strings in our kid’s guitar to the two-hundred and ten or so in grandma’s piano, and from the hardwood floor in our living room to the trampoline in the neighbour’s backyard, resilience is working for us.

 This is true even in the properties of our skin and bones. When bones lose a degree of this property, they become brittle and more subject to fracturing. Resiliency is related to elasticity, and once aging skin loses those properties it sags, unable to spring back and shrink to its former shape. I know, for I have a lot of sag, myself.

Simply put, resilience is the ability to spring back or return after stretching and compression or bending, and to resume a former size and shape.

Resilience—that’s what I’ve witnessed again and again over the years in rural people and farming folk. Resilient people. Generally the people of the communities served by the newspaper for which I wrote the original version of this article are to be commended on their willingness and ability to help one another in times of difficulty. They’ve risen again and again to help fellow citizens arise from the ashes of broken dreams, bereavement and deep, heart-rending loss. They’ve helped one another to come back and recover from those situations. I’ve little doubt that this would be multiplied hundreds-of-thousands of times across the country.

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Two-thirds of my pastoral service years were spent in small town and village communities in Ontario. I learned that people who live close to the earth and nature, as rural dwellers do—especially those who have a farming background, often develop a capacity for resilience. Their experience, in facing the challenges of weather and nature and the financial uncertainties inherent in the agricultural life, builds into them a paradoxical combination of the following characteristics:

First, independence (they learn multiple skills and can do a lot for themselves).
Second,  dependence (they depend on the weather and various factors in nature that are beyond their control, and they often depend on and teach their family members to pull their weight, for the good of all).
And third, interdependence (such as when their neighbour needs a helping hand to complete planting in spring or to get crops off the fields before bad weather). They provide help, if at all possible, knowing that the time may come when they’ll depend on their neighbour’s help.

Biblical faith holds firm in many ‘ruralite’ hearts, despite numerous challenges, for their fundamental dependence is placed in Creator God. Experience and perseverance lead to hopeful optimism: “This harvest wasn’t great, but we got one, thank God. Next year may be better.”

Resilience: Springing and bouncing back, and not staying bent out of shape—despite the hard knocks of life.

Resilience: “. . . we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5 NIV).

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Peter’s new book, “Raise Your Gaze . . . Musings of a Grateful Heart,” was released in August, 2014. 52 Adapted newspaper column articles and a sprinkling of Words to Bless.

Available from: Angel Hope Publishing (Coming soon: An ebook version and availability at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com )

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 Peter A. Black's first book: “Parables from the Pond” – a children's / family book (mildly educational, inspirational in orientation, character reinforcing). Finalist – Word Alive Press. ISBN: 1897373-21-X. The book has found a place in various settings with a readership ranging from kids to senior adults.

His inspirational column, P-Pep! appears weekly in The Guide-Advocate (of Southwestern Ontario). His articles have appeared in 50 Plus Contact and testimony, and several newspapers in Ontario.
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Yes, We Can! - Black

Several years ago US President Barack Obama’s campaign slogan of “Yes, we can!” cut through the gloom of major economic collapse, massive employment loss, fast-evaporating confidence in American government and society, and the global economic downturn. It offered a welcome beam of light.


Those three words played a role in reigniting the flame of hope, and galvanized a sense of renewed optimism in many people. The slogan was a fitting companion to his overall theme of “change.” And now, the 44th President of the United States and the nation’s first African-American president will soon shift into higher gears in his bid to hold on to his job.


Despite his best efforts gloom persists. It seems that many Americans feel or believe that not all the changes were good – or weren’t good enough, or fast enough. And yet, the essential element of the “Yes, we can!” message is something that predates Mr. Obama and will continue to inspire many of us.


Yes, we can! Three words that can mean so much . . . can make the difference —
~ between fear and faith;
~ between at least trying and not trying at all;
~ between victory and defeat;
~ between success and failure.


Joshua and Caleb’s reconnaissance of the Promised Land (Canaan), and their subsequent report was a Yes, we can! thing. Their ten espionage colleagues’ report was a No, we can’t, thing. Yet, all twelve spies had seen the potential for bounty in the land.


“When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs (Numbers 13:23).”


The ten No, we can’t-ers presumably tasted the grapes as well as the two Yes, we can-ers!


They’d faced many dangers in order to bring back this sample of good things to come. The people heeded the negative majority report, even although they saw the fruit of the land and some may have tasted of it. That fruit was a foretaste of what lay before them, if they would only have moved on in faith in the assurance that the Lord God was with them.


Albeit, the Lord knew they weren’t yet ready. They had many lessons to learn, and the unbelieving generation was to pass away–die in the wilderness, before a new generation would arise, prepared and ready to go in to possess the land.


The year is young. What will it hold? Will optimism fade and fall like spent fireworks from the night sky? What does all this mean for us? Have we tasted the fruit of things to come? Have we tasted that the Lord is gracious? Have we put ourselves out and ‘risked it’ in order to reach out into what is ahead and secured samples of the blessing and fruitfulness of walking by faith in Jesus?


If God does not go with and work with us, and we with Him, how can we accomplish His call on our lives? What great comfort we have through His promise to be with us (Josh. 1:8-9; Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:8).


I’ve entered this infant year with a mixture of optimism and uncertainty, since three aspects of my life that I anticipated would play a definite role in advancing my future writing and ministry aspirations are curtailed somewhat, at present:


Writing (computer work and typing), music-making (self-accompanied vocals on piano or keyboard), and piano-tuning and servicing (my pre-pastoral profession). (Through the latter skill I had hoped to in part fund my writing / publishing dreams.)


Fortunately, my commitments to provide services to nursing homes and seniors residences may still be fulfilled, although the music component is in jeopardy. A healing or effective treatment of old chronic injuries may dispel this little cloud. And yet I am at the same time optimistic, anticipating the guiding hand of God in the days ahead.


It seems that, for now, I have to learn in a new way what Paul expressed in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength (NIV).” I take that to mean, “I can do everything [that God requires of me] through him who gives me strength.”


Hmm. Can we fulfil what He has purposed and planned for us this year? Yes, we can – if God be with us, and enables us!


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Peter A. Black writes a weekly inspirational column for the Southwestern Ontario newspaper, The Watford Guide-Advocate, and is the author of "Parables from the Pond" (a Word Alive Press finalist, 2007)-- a book finding a readership from school children to senior citizens. (ISBN 1897373-21-X)