I stood in front of him with my mouth wide open and then it happened, my go to response at the time, I started crying. I think I even called in reinforcements... dun dun dun, Grandma. "I am not ready!" "You are mean to make me do this." "I can't... I won't... No!" "GRANDMA!" Little did I know the family had conspired against me. I was doomed. I was the only person on my side and I was outnumbered 1 to a bunch. I was going to learn to ride my bike without training wheels that day whether I liked it or not. And boy was it a big old NOT!
I followed him, head down, feet dragging, to my beautiful Columbia Sweet Miss bike. There she was, once my friend, soon to be my enemy and the bane of my existence. She was already missing those precious training wheels. He propped her up and told me to get on. "Ummm, no. I am going to fall. What happens if I fall?" My father the man of many words simply says "You get up and back on." Nope 'em, No way Jose, Ain't happening. I am not ready to do this. "I am going to be behind you holding on and you will be just fine." Many of you already know where this is going. He holds on, I start riding. He lets go and I ride off into the sunset.
Well almost. He held on, I started riding. He let go, I kept riding. He told me how proud he was, I looked back, realized he wasn't holding on, got scared and plowed into a bush. One of the scratchy kind. Did I mention I plowed into a bush? I am talking Wicked Witch of the East all you saw were shoes sticking out of the bush. He walks up, pulls me out, turns me around and makes me get right back on. I am scratched and scraped, snotty from crying and still scared but that one second of freedom was exhilarating and intriguing. Maybe I should try again.
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| Deddy before he turned on me! LOL |
Courage, it is a scary word. When I sit down to start a post and find that God has a theme or a word that will define that particular post, I will look up the word. I almost did not with the word courage. Everyone knows what courage means. We see it everyday- soldiers, policemen, teachers. But just to be sure I was getting the full meaning behind God's message with this post, I looked it up.
Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
Oh y'all, I am going to need casts for my toes after this one.
I want to think I am courageous but I am not. I am afraid. Afraid of the unknown, afraid of change, afraid of tilting the apple cart. Afraid to stop playing God, with the best of intentions of course, and sitting down, shutting up and letting God do the job He wants and needs to do.
How many times have I sabotaged myself because I was safe with my training wheels on? What have I missed?
When I was younger, I was not afraid to try pretty much anything. People, I rode my bike without a helmet! I have two knees that are more scar tissue than normal skin. I have scars that have great stories that will only ever be repeated if they learn to talk. I had bumps and bruises that covered body partS- plural. My experience with my bike taught me that, yes plowing into the bush hurt, but I learned from it, I gained freedom and it was worth it.
Where did my courage go? How have I grown closer to God in my Christian walk and lost my courage? It doesn't make sense. A closer walk with God means that you should have the quality of mind to face difficulty, danger and pain without fear. He tells us that he wants us to be courageous and He will give us what we need to do it. Don't believe me? Let's refer to the instruction manual.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
John 16:33
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Try searching bible verses about courage. You will be astounded at the sheer number of verses that pop up.
So where did my courage go? It is still there it has just been buried under the pain and hurt of life. It is difficult to put yourself out there when you know there is a possibility of getting hurt. You begin wonder exactly how much you can take and what if God gives more than you can handle? Then the worse thing happens, you decide to keep the training wheels on, trusting God a little but not completely, or worse you never get back on your bike after you fall and stay stagnant, stuck.
Jesus said in John 10:10-
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
I purposely chose the New Living Translation as my verse. I think sometimes when we read the words "abundant life" our human/sinful side associates the word abundant with what the world tell us; cars, houses, money, perfect marriages etc. I don't think that was the intention with this verse. Jesus is telling us to be courageous. The quality of mind and spirit to face difficulties and pain comes from knowing Jesus is there for us. Always has been, ALWAYS will be. He loved us enough to die for us.
When we call upon His Name, we are calling on Him and His army to help us face whatever is in front of us. I think that is the rich and satisfying life that Jesus' is referring to a life of courage that allows us to live past our fear and open our hearts to where God wants to take us.
I think we are all familiar with Romans 8:31-
31What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
I want to share with you the rest of Romans 8.
32.Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33.Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34.Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35.Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36.(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37.No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38.And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39.No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Surviving the difficulties of life has taught me that allowing God to take control, leaning in, shutting up and listening is the only way I will ever have "the quality of mind or spirit that enables person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear;", the courage to go the places God wants to take me to have a rich and satisfying life despite the difficulty, danger and pain thrown my way.
love- j
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