I know I know, I’m no superwoman
But impossible is possible with You
So no, no, no more running, no more hiding
Strike the fire so I’ll be fearless too
Brave, Moriah Peters
There’s a lot wrapped up in that word.
Just five letters can strike fear or courage in our hearts.
Brave.
In the days between a brain tumor diagnosis and surgery, I heard that word a lot.
“You’re so brave. I can’t imagine going through this.”
“Have you heard any updates? When did you find out, anyway? You must feel so brave!”
“You’re so composed and well, normal. I don’t think I could be this brave.”
But I wasn’t brave. I was a seventeen-year-old facing a surgery that had the potential to go very very wrong.
There was nothing about me that felt brave, I simply felt at peace. With every comment I would bite my tongue and then quietly say back, “I’m really not that brave. I just know He’s got it under control.”
Which, oddly enough, would result in a response telling me I was so brave to trust God through this.
No. I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it one more: I was not brave. I just trust the Author writing my story and was given a peace that passes all understanding.
I’ve lived four sets of 365 days since they shaved that line of hair off, and here’s the truth:
I’m still not brave. Not always.
But when God is near there is no room left for fear. And He is ever-present. So yeah, I’m kicking scared to the curb.
Sometimes strength doesn’t reside in having never been broken, but in the courage required to grow strong in the broken places.
Sometimes the bravest step is to simply stand.
And sometimes the bravest thing to do is to let go.
I’m entering my senior year of college in just a few days and I’m basically the equivalent of a blubbering mess. I cry without warning because I know what’s coming. I have one more year with my people and I already miss them.
It’s absolutely ridiculous but it’s the truth of my now. I don’t have to let go just yet but that moment is coming.
“Letting go has always been hard for me. Yet I have seen, over and over again, that to simply let go is a powerful catalyst God will use to move me toward the next best thing.” Annie Downs, Let’s All Be Brave
In the letting go He has more space to move – and I believe He will. So instead of crying buckets over what is inevitable, I’m choosing to believe what Ann so simply reminds:
“Why be afraid of anything when He is using everything?”
In the mean time, I’m going to hold on and embrace that God-given courage He has already placed inside me.
Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have
Bravery can manifest itself in tens of different ways. Sometimes the bravest thing to do is to sit down and wait, and other times we need to stand and speak up. As I enter a season of letting go and releasing things I hold so dear, Annie reminds me that choosing to let go and lift open hands to God allows Him space to move. It’s about taking the next step – no matter how small – towards where He is leading. Whether that means holding on or letting go, saying a brave yes or a firm no, the courage needed to be brave is already inside you.
I am so proud of my friend Annie Downs on the release of her new book and I encourage you to pick up a copy!
Let’s All Be Brave is available at Amazon
I was provided a free copy of Let’s All Be Brave in exchange for my honest review. Affiliate links are used in this post.
