So, here I sit, pondering bravery. What does it truly mean to be brave? I have greatly enjoyed reading every devotional from those who have shared. As I read them, I say all too often, “yep, me too.” There always seems to be a little nugget I take away. Morning after morning, I sit here, listening to my children clicking away on their computers while they work on school. I listen to my mom busily cleaning. I listen to the giggles of Nisa Faith and her daddy playing, and I ask myself once again, “What does it mean to be brave? Who are my heroes of faith?” Each day has been a different answer, and a different way their actions were brave. But when I look at each one, one thing I see they have in common. They are human. Yep, that’s it. They are imperfect humans. [Well, I can do that, correctly? :)]
Today, I think of Beth Moore. If you have never heard or read her story about the hairbrush, it truly is one you should Google. (I will also post it in the FB BGB group). It is an amazing act of bravery. But what I love the most about the story is how incredibly human she was in it. I think so often, we raise people up much higher than they should be. Many times, I have felt people do that to me. We look up to them and he/she seems to have it all together. Wanna know something? No one truly has it all together. We are all walking a road. No one walks their roads perfectly. None, but Jesus.
I shared in my last blog about my struggle with fear. Paralyzing fear at times that robbed me of peace. As I read my own words, something hit me… flashes of brave moments throughout my life came pouring through. Girls, I think it is time to stop getting hung up by our human moments. We need to start looking through God glasses and start accepting what He says we are. So many of us can go through this long list of how we are not brave, but being brave doesn’t mean we don’t have fear. We are brave while being afraid and doing “it” anyway.
Last February, I had gone through one of my most difficult rounds of chemo. I was extremely sick, truly wondering if I would live to see another day. Would my husband ever kiss my forehead? Would I have another deep talk with my teenagers? Would I be here to kiss the hurt away for my preteen? Would my newborn baby have me as her mother? I remember lying in bed, crying out in my heart for God to help me. I thought about Jesus calming the sea in Mark: “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Mark 4:37-39
I begged God to calm my sea… then I remembered another story… much like this one only with a twist: “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them:“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.” Matthew 14:22-32
Did you see it? Jesus called Peter out of the boat with the waves crashing around him. Jesus did not calm the sea first. When they climbed back into the boat; that is when the wind died down. Jesus touched my heart saying I am the God who will calm your sea, but I am also the God who will have you step out in your storm. This was a moment that Jesus encouraged my heart to be brave. He may calm your storm or He may call you out of the boat with the waves crashing around you, but regardless, He is always there to catch you.
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Allana’s Blog (My lovely and Talented Wife!)
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