When opportunity knocks, but it's actually just resiliency (again).

12:05 pm

Standing in my bathrobe, halfway packed, I heard the telltale ping of my cell phone.

Looking down I gasped in disappointment.

"Your flight to Portugal has been delayed 24 hours," it read. 

Oh no, this could not be happening now, today of all days! 

Four weeks ago we'd sent our eldest, Anna, to walk the El Camino pilgrimage. To celebrate this accomplishment I was planning on meeting her in Porto, Portugal, just three hours south of Santiago de Compostela.

I quickly called the airlines. 

"Ma'am, how far are you from the airport?  I could put you on a 1:20 pm flight to Houston, then to Toronto, and then to Lisbon."  

Craig looked at me, "You'll never make it."

I envisioned Anna alone in a foreign city, weary from the month long trek and ready for respite.

Determined to get there, I zipped up my carry-on and ran like hell for the airport!

Sweat soaked and panting from the mad dash through Denver airport, I landed in my seat just before they closed the doors.

Flight #1: CHECK

Houston airport was another 100 yard dash to the gate. No time for food or the bathroom. I was channeling my inner Usain Bolt, making it to Canada with minutes to spare. A flight delay was my saving grace. 

Flight #2: CHECK

Whew! I was on my way to Portugal. Flight 3 took off without a hitch. 

Flight #3: CHECK

Arriving at Lisbon airport only an hour late, I wasn't worried. My quads and lungs were warmed up with all my previous sprinting. This would be a piece of cake. I laced up my kicks, grabbed my bag and took off.

I was going to see my girl!

SCREEECH.....

The dreaded customs line was impenetrable. Hundreds of weary travelers stood before just five customs agents. 

Then one left for lunch and the crowd yelled, "Booooooooooo!"  I mean, the whole crowd booing this poor civil servant. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. 

But then another customs officer appeared to replace him. Again the crowd in full force chanting, "Ole, ole, ole, ole!"  

This went on for the entirety of my stay in the line, alternating boos and cheers as the customs officers rotated in and out. 

It was wild! 

I looked the faces of the mothers with young children. Hungry, tired, thirsty and miserable. My mind traveled to hours waiting refugees endure in the toughest of conditions.  

If they could do that for freedom, I could handle this.  

4 hours and 10 minutes later, reality hit.  

Flight #4: MISSED

I was bound and determined to get to my girl! One glance at the ridiculous airline reschedule line, and I knew I wasn't going to get to my destination that day.

NOT SO FAST! I had one more trick up my sleeve.

The bus! A frantic search for the bus times revealed I had 10 minutes to catch the last bus.

No biggie. I was professional sprinter by this point.

Within minutes of the bus leaving, I landed the very last seat with one minute to spare!

With no opportunity to visit the bathroom over the past 6 hours, I was more than ready to visit the bus latrine.

OH NO!

This bus had no bathroom. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and told my kidneys that if they just held on for the next 3 hours and 15 minutes, I would be forever grateful.

I arrived at the Porto bus station, with Anna standing with open arms.  

I made it, kidneys intact.

I would do it again to experience those precious three days of mother-daughter time, exploring European history and culture!

Those 24 hours were a test of my resilience. Pushing through obstacles, roadblocks and naysayers, I was resolved to see my Anna.

Building Resilience

You can develop resilience in several ways.

As a yoga teacher, I've found one of the most effective methods is through yoga practice. This ancient discipline teaches us how to manage stress and cope with life’s challenges. It also helps us connect with others and find meaning in our lives.

As a mom, we face stress all the time right? Simple poses learned on my yoga mat help my children take a different perspective on their circumstance. 

Together, we'll move into Legs on Wall or Waterfall pose. Simply lie down next to a wall, pivot in a way that you face the wall with the back of your legs supported by the wall. Your booties are nestled against the wall, stacking heels, knees and hips in one line.  

Did you know that Inversions in yoga help with edema (swelling)?  They usher the blood flow back to the heart for better circulation. All that blood movement can give you fresh perspective on the emotions or energy simply trying to move through your bodies.

After a few minutes, we are calm. 

Resiliency comes with practice and repetition. 

I love Bessel van der Kolk's words in The Body Keeps the Score

In yoga, you focus your attention on your breathing and on your sensations moment to moment.

You begin to notice the connection between your emotions and your body - perhaps how anxiety about doing a pose actually throws you off balance. 

You begin to experiment with changing the way you feel.  Will taking a deep breath relieve that tension in your shoulders?  Will focusing on your exhalations produce a sense of calm? Simply noticing what you feel fosters emotional regulation, and it helps you to stop trying to ignore what is going on inside you.  

As I often tell my students, the two most important phrases in therapy as in yoga are 

"Notice That" 

and

"What happens next?"

Once you start approaching your body with curiosity rather than with fear, everything shifts." 

Scripture teaches us story after story of where God meets people in their willingness to receive, trust, and participate in their own comeback story - stories of restoration, redemption, reconciliation, and renewal.   

You might be familiar with the trials and tribulations of King David. He was known as a man after God's own heart. From a servant boy to a successful warrior, David climbed the social ladder. He became a great general and finally - King of Israel.

David had it all. Success. Wealth. Power. A man LOVED by God. 

But David didn't do it all well. He choose another man's wife to bed which led to an unplanned pregnancy. Trying to hide his deeds, David had her husband murdered. He suffered greatly because of those failings.

After being confronted by Nathan for his sins, David pours out his heart in Psalm 40. This lament psalm starts with praise and confidence - and then moves into the lament and petitions.  

Here's the interesting bit.

In this psalm, David begins with praise. Praise from the past helps him deal with his problems in the present. 

Practicing Resilience

Resilience is an essential part of living well. It allows us to bounce back when things go wrong and keep going when things go right.

When we're faced with difficult situations, we often feel powerless.

When the delayed flight text message popped up, I had two choices.

I could wallow in the failed plans OR I could do weather the storm that was about to hit.

I chose to stand up and fight. 

When life beats you down today, what will you choose? Lie down or fight like hell? 

Resilience begins with failure. 

Today, how are you choosing to overcome a challenge? You can change the story you are telling yourself. Simply take the step right in front of you.