What is courage?
According to Merriam-Webster, a trusted source of definitions since 1828, courage is the "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty".
Exactly. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I have met people, as I'm sure you have, that live this definition. It doesn't matter what seems to come their way, they are strong. Or maybe they just seem strong.
I know in my own life, I feel that my courage has grown as I have aged. For example, when I was a young bride and The Husband would go on overnighters to hunt his deer, I would be afraid to stay alone. As time progressed, I became more and more able to stay alone in the dark. That's not to say that I don't hear every single creak that happens, I just don't consider them all anymore and I don't panic when I do. Maybe that's growth in me? That could even be a courage of sorts.
Maybe courage for me, too, would be not being so very afraid of snakes even though I don't really want to practice that one.
I think that courage shows itself in a lot of ways in our lives--dealing with disappointment, dealing with life not being as expected or wanted, dealing with a sickness or terminal illness. Sometimes courage is seeing those you love deal with traumatic experiences when you can do nothing but watch and pray. Sometimes courage is viewed by just being positive when all around you seems negative.
Maybe courage is having the strength to just do what's right. That can be one of the hardest kinds of courage. And when one is doing what's right, even when they don't want to, that's even more exceptional courage. We've all been there, haven't we?
One of my most favorite scriptures in the good book is from Joshua 1:9. I read it often and have even committed it to memory. It has spoke to me more times when I have been afraid than any other scripture. And I figure if the Lord says to "fear not" as many times in the Bible as He does, it's important. Joshua 1:9 says this:
"Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
One of my birthday gifts this past birthday was the new Max Lucado book, "Anxious for Nothing". Underneath the title, it reads "finding calm in a chaotic world". When we have courage guided by the Lord, we CAN find calm in a chaotic world.
Consider.......
According to Merriam-Webster, a trusted source of definitions since 1828, courage is the "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty".
Exactly. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I have met people, as I'm sure you have, that live this definition. It doesn't matter what seems to come their way, they are strong. Or maybe they just seem strong.
I know in my own life, I feel that my courage has grown as I have aged. For example, when I was a young bride and The Husband would go on overnighters to hunt his deer, I would be afraid to stay alone. As time progressed, I became more and more able to stay alone in the dark. That's not to say that I don't hear every single creak that happens, I just don't consider them all anymore and I don't panic when I do. Maybe that's growth in me? That could even be a courage of sorts.
Maybe courage for me, too, would be not being so very afraid of snakes even though I don't really want to practice that one.
I think that courage shows itself in a lot of ways in our lives--dealing with disappointment, dealing with life not being as expected or wanted, dealing with a sickness or terminal illness. Sometimes courage is seeing those you love deal with traumatic experiences when you can do nothing but watch and pray. Sometimes courage is viewed by just being positive when all around you seems negative.
Maybe courage is having the strength to just do what's right. That can be one of the hardest kinds of courage. And when one is doing what's right, even when they don't want to, that's even more exceptional courage. We've all been there, haven't we?
One of my most favorite scriptures in the good book is from Joshua 1:9. I read it often and have even committed it to memory. It has spoke to me more times when I have been afraid than any other scripture. And I figure if the Lord says to "fear not" as many times in the Bible as He does, it's important. Joshua 1:9 says this:
"Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
One of my birthday gifts this past birthday was the new Max Lucado book, "Anxious for Nothing". Underneath the title, it reads "finding calm in a chaotic world". When we have courage guided by the Lord, we CAN find calm in a chaotic world.
Consider.......
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