Courage

Courage...."The ability to do something that frightens one."

What frightens you?

When our oldest three children were small and my husband was gone a lot, I would often have to come home in the dark with the kids.  I was afraid of the dark because of something that happened when I was in 7th grade: We had a peeping "tom" looking in our window after a Junior class party at our house out in the country.  I saw the person and was pretty much scared of the dark after that night.

 But I noticed something when my kids were small.  I was much braver when those little kids were with me than I was if I would have been all alone!  Why? Because I was protecting them.  I wasn't worried about my own fear, but in teaching them to have courage and not be afraid.

 Throughout the years, when the kids have been scared (our youngest is terrified of storms, which is odd because I like storms and my husband doesn't care either way), I've tried to teach them to pray fervently about that fear.  I love the picture up above with the scripture.  God will be with you wherever you go.  Why do we have to fear, then, if our Heavenly Father is right there with us?

 The answer?  We don't! We shouldn't! We don't have to live our lives that way! We CAN have courage to do what we're scared to do.

 Fear keeps people from doing so many things.  I've decided that I'm not going to let fear keep me from doing anything - especially things that are things my family would do....which is why I rode "Tower of Terror" at Walt Disney World this past Christmas!! I wasn't really scared of it, but the first time I rode it, I was hot and just didn't like it.  But my family didn't want me to be alone waiting on them, so I went.  And, guess what?  It wasn't so bad!  Then I went again, and that time it was the best time I've had on there! (It has lots of settings so not every "ride" is the same degree of intensity.")

What if I hd never tried it again?  What if that "fear" had kept me from ever wanting to give it one more try?  I would have missed out!

And a ride at WDW isn't important.  There are lots more important things that fear keeps us from doing.  Maybe we're afraid of being involved with the Lord's church. Maybe we're afraid of telling others about Jesus. Maybe we're afraid of inviting someone to worship with us on Sundays.  Maybe we're afraid to go visit the sick.  FEAR.  It stops us from doing what we should do.

Have courage, my friend!  God is with you - wherever you go!  He will walk with you. He will guide you.  Will things happen some time?  Yes, they will.  But even in those times, God is STILL THERE with YOU.  Have courage.

A Pot of Hot Water

This little frog was in our garage last night. My husband got it and showed the kids, then we released it in the back yard. I don't want them hoping into my house, but the little ones are really cute, aren't they?

Do you know the story about the man who put a frog into a pot of hot water? When the frog felt the hot water, he immediately jumped out! But when the man put the frog in a pot of cold water and gradually turned up the heat, the frog didn't try to jump out. Instead, he died. Little by little the frog got used to his surroundings, until it eventually cost him his life.

I wonder if we do this same thing in life sometimes? Think about the world around us...how it has changed. Many years ago some of the things that are now seen on TV and in movies would never have been shown. Many years ago, people would never have dressed immodestly, but now immodesty is considered the "norm" by many. Many years ago, song lyrics wouldn't have had drugs and alcohol in their lyrics, and they wouldn't have talked about marital infidelity or had sexual tones. Yes, the "temperature" of life around us has definitely changed. And what have we, as Christians, done about those changes?

Maybe we are like the little frog. We've allowed the world around us to change and gotten content in our surroundings, instead of "jumping" out of the very hot water. The world has gradually changed and we haven't said "no!".

Having the strength and courage to say no definitely comes from God. It's not something we can do totally on our own, but God is willing to help us. In fact, He needs us to speak up and say "no"! If we don't, who will?

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

John 16:33