Perpective: Bravery

Over the last few weeks, I've developed a new perspective of bravery.  A friend of mine once shared that she heard Jill Briscoe say on the radio that bravery doesn't mean you aren't scared, it just means doing it scared.  In saying "yes" to whatever Christ has called us, it doesn't mean that everything goes perfectly smooth or that it will all turn out perfectly.  Instead, it means saying "yes" and trusting that He will be with you every step of the way.

To my friend who said "yes" to God's prompting to adopt a close relative's baby, knowing that it was risky, you are brave.  And when the birth parents changed their minds a few weeks before the baby arrived and you chose to show up and love on the birth mother and the baby anyway, your bravery was astounding.

To my friend who said "yes" in the form of "I do" over twenty years ago and who chooses to continue to say "yes" to upholding that vow that was made before God even though your husband has done something tragic, you are brave.

To my friend who said "yes," not once but three times, to foster adoption of some little ones who came from birth parents who were incapacitated due to addictions or mental limitations, you are brave.

To my friend who is daily saying "yes" to God as she leans on Him to walk through the storms of dealing with two parents and a husband who have all had major health issues in the past few months, you are brave.

To my friends who have said "yes" to raising their children to know and love the Lord and spend time on their knees on behalf of their children so that they would not get swept up in the culture, you are brave.

And to my mother who said "yes" to raising two girls as a single mom when our dad got sick, you are brave.

I've heard the phrase "obedience produces blessing," and I pray that each of you would be blessed and shown favor by the Lord for your obedience in saying "yes" to what God has called you to do, even if you are doing it scared.