The third characteristic of highly resilient people is maintaining a flexible and open state of mind. This one can be really challenging for intentional, efficient, time-blocking, organized planners. Do you know anyone like that? (Asking for a friend.)

Life is rarely as predictable as we think we want it to be. We want to know what’s going to happen so that we allot enough time, there’s no need to panic, the schedule works, and the day flows like a well-oiled machine. That sounds nice.

Or does it? Don’t we ultimately want what God wants? What if He wants to interrupt that well-oiled machine? What if that meeting goes long because someone who’s normally hesitant to ask for help, takes hold of a little courage and asks you for help with a problem? What if you get a call to pray with someone when you need to run into the grocery store to pick up the cupcakes that have to get to the school by 11:30?

How does a highly resilient person handle those things?

The reality is, people have needs and we are the hands and feet of Jesus to sometimes meet those needs. It means we have to hold our plans loosely, while maintaining our integrity to do what we said we would do. Yikes! Now it’s getting more complicated.

A resilient person is able to flex the minutes and the conversations to get done what needs to get done.

How do we do that? By inhaling the guidance of the Holy Spirit and exhaling His will. As we breathe Him in, He gives us wisdom. As we breathe Him out, we respond correctly.

In more biblical words, as we trust in the Lord with all our heart, as we don’t trust our own understanding, as we submit to Him in everything, He makes the path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). He gives us His peace to make adjustments that align with His will.

So, if someone needs my help but I didn’t budget the time, I look at my schedule to see if something ahead in the day can be moved a bit. If not, I ask the person if I can call from the car while headed to my next appointment. Or maybe I ask if they’d like to grab dinner later. A flexible person considers the options.

If someone needs to pray while I’m on a tight schedule, I have to determine the urgency. If the prayer need is right now, the person is being rushed to the hospital, that’s worth the cupcakes getting to the school 10 minutes late. If it’s not urgent, I can text a prayer to them or call them later. Again, flexibility means I can entertain various options to meet the need.

How flexible and open-minded are you when it comes to interruptions?