(These are dropping like crazy right now! Aren't they huge?! They're so very Fall.)
A little black and white Boston terrier is prancing around my chair with a ball in her mouth wanting to play. (In just a little bit, Sadie! Gotta blog.) There's an episode of Sherlock playing in the background cause my sis and I decided to have a mini-marathon of Cumberbatch (or Cummerbund, as my mother calls him) while we dog sit. I'm drinking vanilla almond tea and watching fall colors explode outside the window. There... now it's like you're here with me. :)
I'm thinking about courage today because it's the topic of the month in the Inspired series! By the way, how are y'all liking this series so far? I, for one, am enjoying it immensely. This has been too much fun! I love getting to build friendships with all of my guest bloggers. They're blessing me a lot! And I really appreciate them sharing their stories.
But, back to courage...I watch the news and I get scared. I surf the net and I get scared. There are so many times during the course of a normal day when something or other freaks me out. It just feels like dozens of frightening things are happening in our world today. Thankfully, I have yet to be confronted by most of them. Everything is still "out there," far away and in the future. But, when I think about being courageous in the face of those loud, grand-scale monsters, this Rowling quote (nerd alert) always comes to mind, "Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."
Isn't that the very definition of courage? Doing what is right instead of what is easy? Not wrong, but easy. I think we will be faced with that choice in a very large and public way in the future. And, I pray we'll be able to meet it.
But, there are other scary things we confront on a daily basis. They're small and they're persistent. It's hard to shake them because we're so used to their presence. They hide behind thoughts like:
-My business will probably never become as successful as I'd like it to, so why try?
-Does God really have good things in store for me?
-I don't even feel like getting out of bed today.
-What would I do if I lost my loved ones?
-I'm hesitant to show my real self for fear of rejection.
Thoughts like these, small though they seem, indicate a need for courage. Failure, rejection, doubt, loneliness, and insufficiency are monsters that need facing each and every moment of the day. If we were to choose what's easy, we would cease to try to overcome them and allow them to grow. Pressing on despite the real and frightening possibilities isn't easy, but it's right.
I am looking forward to reading the stories of my guest bloggers who have faced scary things on a number of different levels. May we encourage each other to be courageous every day no matter the size of monster.
-Song
But, back to courage...I watch the news and I get scared. I surf the net and I get scared. There are so many times during the course of a normal day when something or other freaks me out. It just feels like dozens of frightening things are happening in our world today. Thankfully, I have yet to be confronted by most of them. Everything is still "out there," far away and in the future. But, when I think about being courageous in the face of those loud, grand-scale monsters, this Rowling quote (nerd alert) always comes to mind, "Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."
Isn't that the very definition of courage? Doing what is right instead of what is easy? Not wrong, but easy. I think we will be faced with that choice in a very large and public way in the future. And, I pray we'll be able to meet it.
But, there are other scary things we confront on a daily basis. They're small and they're persistent. It's hard to shake them because we're so used to their presence. They hide behind thoughts like:
-My business will probably never become as successful as I'd like it to, so why try?
-Does God really have good things in store for me?
-I don't even feel like getting out of bed today.
-What would I do if I lost my loved ones?
-I'm hesitant to show my real self for fear of rejection.
Thoughts like these, small though they seem, indicate a need for courage. Failure, rejection, doubt, loneliness, and insufficiency are monsters that need facing each and every moment of the day. If we were to choose what's easy, we would cease to try to overcome them and allow them to grow. Pressing on despite the real and frightening possibilities isn't easy, but it's right.
I am looking forward to reading the stories of my guest bloggers who have faced scary things on a number of different levels. May we encourage each other to be courageous every day no matter the size of monster.
-Song
What a great topic! There are large and small things that scare me every day, but I try to remember that fear is the opposite of faith. That small phrase always brings me peace. It's nice to know that others feel intimidated, discouraged, or just plain scared- we all can relate. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's something I need to be reminded of all the time! And you're right, fear is the opposite of faith. How can any of us who put our faith in God stay afraid, honestly? I'm so guilty of it, though. Thanks for stopping by! :)
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