Written by Sarah Hill

I want to talk about resilience. I want to talk about the resilience that this organization learned in 2020 and about the resilience we are carrying into 2021. No doubt that our universal climate has changed, but it doesn’t change an ounce of truth itself because we place our hope in Jesus. 

Resilience is taking the culmination of your circumstances and experiences and using them to move forward in a stronger and more purposeful way. Resilience is learning how to be an overcomer. Resilience is becoming unstoppable in the face of all uncertainty. 

Changing our usual routine in 2020 was challenging, but filled with purpose. We learned to think outside of the box, to connect in ways that were new and foreign. As we focused on the rebranding of our organization into the Beautifully Flawed Foundation, we had to dig deep into the “why” of our programs and dream up new ways to make an even greater impact.

When you see hope change lives, it stirs you to share more of it. 

As we move forward in the planning and opening of the application process for our 2021 Beautifully Flawed Retreats and The Forge Retreat, I see that the resilience we grasped in 2020 has blossomed in each of us a fresh passion for what it is that we do. I see it in the entire team of this foundation as we move forward with a new appreciation of every detail of the planning process. There is joy found in every project and a strong yearning to make it even better than before. Where we may have lost some vision in the routine, we now feel enriched with even deeper purpose and tenacity to bring hope to young men and women. 

When we look at life through the lens of resilience, it is a game-changer. The trials that once bound us now seem like mild hiccups along the journey. I can recollect many times that I have seen the beauty of resilience in the lives of our attendees at our retreats. 

A Story of Resilience

A story that especially stands out in my memory is that of Reilly Hamilton who attended our 2019 retreat just months after falling 7 stories from the roof of a building. She miraculously survived the fall, but broke numerous bones and lost her arm due to a blood clot from her injuries. Yet her resilience was exemplary and we were witness to this. Her future at that time would entail many more surgeries to come. Through the pain, Reilly attended every activity at the retreat and did so with a smile. During the sessions in the gym and with our medical team, she was eager to learn what she could do to help aid in the healing process. I remember being so nervous with Reilly – I wanted to tenderly protect her and make sure not to overdo her capacity through the retreat events. But she firmly resolved to participate as much as possible, moving forward with great strength. 

I recently checked in with Reilly to see how she was fairing through the last year. She shared that her rehabilitation has taken longer than any of them had expected, but she is gearing up for what she hopes will be her last surgery. She shared this with so much grace, and not one ounce of self-pity. She is doing what she has to do to concur the world, starting with herself.

 I know that picking up the pieces and moving forward can be hard, especially when there is uncertainty with what the future holds. If we are willing to choose the path of resilience and believe that a good and loving God truly does work all things together for His good, we will find strength in difficulty that we never knew, as well as a purpose in what we might not understand. One of the things I love most about our retreats is how, so often, we see brokenness mended in the lives of our attendees. We have seen so many people find purpose in their pain and a platform to move forward inspiring others through their lives. 

Do you know someone who might benefit from our message of hope or one of our programs? Share this message!