No water, cold or hot, to get ready for work as no one filled the tank on the roof. Sigh. 

No internet strong enough to send or receive emails from the administration building. Double sigh. 

Security lockdown, again, so no leaving the compound for a planned social event that night. Triple sigh. 

Some days my bounce was used up before lunchtime as I navigated life in Afghanistan. My task was to lead an international school on the level of any college-prep American educational institution. The daily challenge was to put back in whatever reserves of energy or optimism leaked out from the endless hurdles, changes, dangers, and adversity of a war-ravaged country.   

Otherwise, the result would have been burnout.  

Some people seem to be able to handle significant stress better than others. Is resilience related to personality type or experiences? Most psychologists consider resilience to be an ability, something that can be learned or developed. Something that is not extraordinary, but possible for everyone who will take the time to persevere through trials, then reflect and gain wisdom and new skills.  

Sometimes needed resilience is simply flexing to an empty water tank scenario. Other times it may require coping with the trauma of a mortar blast outside the bedroom window or students kidnapped or loved ones dying thousands of miles away. 

The goal is not just to survive burnout, but to thrive, to embrace the life given by God wherever that may be happening. This requires intentional mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical actions to keep the necessary bounce to perform effectively under situational or relational upheaval.  

God provides what we need for fully-hydrated resilience in any desert storm if we continue to fill our multi-layered human needs with Him. If we look to others or circumstances alone, we will dry up, run out of healthy bounce to respond to the scary, unpredictable world around us. The amazing gift of the Holy Spirit helps us to pray, to recall Truth, and to look beyond current trouble for the ultimate good He has planned for us.