Day 24 – Bravery

Last night, I responded to a question,

Can you explain what you meant by that?

A sentence in my post about “Listening” that was all jumbled up sounding like wisdom but really only just a pretty forming of a sentence.

I answered her.

After rereading the blog post over again.

I’m not sure what I meant…

some sort of metaphor about editing a painting and redeeming the mess(es) you make because you rushed ahead or you were led to doubt because of comparison.

Maybe redemption over our mistakes as well as our challenges comes when we are brave in our approach to life in general.

When I scurry out to my daughter’s porch to see the morning, I say “Let’s tell God, Good Morning!”

The grandchildren listen, go along, unbeknownst to them, a seed (even if silly in memory) will pop up for them on occasion, maybe as adults, maybe today.

Today, I woke up and thought of bravery, a good thing.

This old dictionary I like says bravery is “the quality of being brave; fearlessness…magnificence.”

Magnificence seemed odd.

I flipped to the “M’s” to see that magnificence is another word for splendor.

Bravery, less than and at the same time so much more than a jaw-clenching choice, a splendid way of living, an opportunity to really believe this life you’re living,

have been given is splendid.

Bravery is accepting slow progress as better than rushing an outcome based on others around you. To be brave is to decide the acknowledgement you need comes every morning when you open your eyes to find the morning.

Bravery is knowing yourself, body and soul, good and not so great and choosing what helps you maintain it over what threatens to wear it down.

Saying no to that second glass of red wine, so pretty in the settling down evening place, end of the day.

Bravery is not having the chocolate pudding topped with salty pecans in your daughter’s pantry…adding crumbled cookies atop a peak of whipped cream.

Bravery is knowing that this innocent indulgence felt like rebellion and subtle self-destruction and that it may not feel the same for others; but, for you it was something other than a treat.

Bravery is attentiveness to the nudge from God’s Spirit inside you that says

“You’re getting too close to the edge, be careful, be still…don’t go on without me.”

Bravery is conversations with others in which you speak your peace and truth, not turn your cheek, close your mouth with just a timid nod, “It’s okay.”

Bravery is delaying good for better.

Bravery is expressing a tender observation to someone you love, knowing they need to hear it. Most often, I’m learning, this is to the adults I cherish, my children.

Bravery is saying,

“I love you.”

And bravery is believing in God, the Creator who chose to give up His Son, Jesus so that we’d spend eternity in what Eden was supposed to be.

Bravery is asking yourself (and others if you have opportunity)

Why are you afraid to believe?

“God always makes his grace visible in Christ, who includes us as partners of his endless triumph. Through our yielded lives he spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere we go.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Bravery is telling your redemption story, often rambling and more often grammatically errant.

Bravery is keeping on anyway.

Continuing to believe.

To triumph over whatever defines your fear.