It is... it's time! I'm in my 40s now and I have felt a stirring... an awakening... a gathering of courage and strength from deep down inside for some time now. I have written about it, prayed about it, and tried to live it out loud and I am so excited because I feel a movement coming of so many of us standing up taller into who we are and leaning in to Him, leaning on each other, and walking boldly, bravely, into all He has for us!
Here's the thing...
When we talk about being Brave, we so often jump to the idea that we have to say Yes. Whatever it is... say yes.
But some of the bravest things I have ever done have been to say no.
No to good things, to ministry, to opportunities, ...no to things that I really wanted, no to staying, and no to leaving. No to easy things and to hard things, to good things and to bad things... sometimes saying no was glorious and easy (said the Introvert) but sometimes saying no was heart-wrenching and heart-breaking... lonely and isolated.
So there are times when we are called to say Yes - of course. Lean in, follow His lead and His call and say Yes... close your eyes and jump, if you have to - but say yes with a faith that is backed by action.
But know that we are times when you will be called to say No instead. And both may require a bit of Brave.
Here's the other thing about Brave...
It requires risk.
It requires putting action to your faith and oh how I can kick against the goads here, ya'll! I mean, I am not a risk taker... I am a risk calculator... I learn from other peoples' mistakes and seriously - the people who make mistakes are usually those who take risks.
But here's the OTHER other thing...
God is a rewarder of Risk Takers!
He is. He loves it when we are willing to step out in faith and just go... He rewards the successes of course, but He rewards the failures too because in order to fail it means you had to have tried something, right? (And He loves that! He loves it when we try new stuff! It's all part of that whole "Life Abundantly" deal He offers us!)
Bravery takes Risk and Risk takes Practice and why is it that we don't want to try and we tend to shrink back from learning how, in front of people? It's like we don't want to swing if we think we can't hit a home run right off the bat? (Ya see what I did there?) Maybe it's because I just finished reading Annie F. Downs' book, Let's All Be Brave, but I am realizing that we must show up for practice... we must be willing to take risks, to learn timing and how to bat... because we won't always clear the bases but sometimes, even in practice, we can hit it out of the park! *You can thank Annie for the baseball analogies.
Annie is ever Real... You read her words, -her life, really- and you are making a friend. She speaks the truth... in laughter and in love and sometimes it's easy and full of life, and sometimes it is hard and uncomfortable (and still full of life). She challenges us to live out loud and to lean in to hear His voice and then boldly, bravely follow through. She is honest with us though... she shares how often times, she is not brave - but oh the times that she has been will stir you up and push you to want to live like that, too!
She offers us a deal... if we'll be brave, she'll be brave too and if we all agree - oh my goodness, ya'll.
Just IMAGINE the things that we could do!
On Sunday, while sitting in church... this is what the Lord so clearly spoke to me. I believe this is what He is speaking to all of us:
"It's already IN you..."
We ask for Him to rain down,
but He asks for us to spill out!
If we want more,
we need to give more -
to make more room...
It's in you...
HE is in you...
How About We All Agree to Let Him Out?
LINKING UP with the bloom book club
Yes. Let's be brave together. xo
ReplyDelete(Let's!) Thanks for stopping by Lyli! xoxo
DeleteYes let's all be brave! You are so right sometimes being brave is about saying no. I need to check out Annie's book for myself.
ReplyDeleteTara, you really do! It is so good! (Who among us doesn't need to be encouraged to be brave, right?)
DeleteYou're the second one to write about being brave in our 31 Days Survivors Group - I appreciate the pep talk when I'm not feeling quite so brave as I was a month ago! Thank you! ~Leah
ReplyDeleteLeah, I hear you friend! 31Days made us all be a little more brave and sort of left us with a vulnerability hang over... or was that just me? ;) Either way... consider yourself pep - talked! Whatever it is He is calling you to... you can do it! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteBeautifully written, Karrilee! To me, being brave is being obedient. Sometimes it is yes, sometimes it is no, sometimes it is wait. Sometimes it is easy, fun, joyful, and rewarding. Often it is hard and less rewarding. Being brave in obedience, however, always results in fruit. Thanks so much for this beautifully written reminder.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Heather! You are right... no matter if it is easy or hard, if it is obedience, there will be fruit! So glad you stopped by today!
DeleteSuch great encouragement! I so need to be brave-
ReplyDeleteI think we all need to be brave... if you will do it, I will do it too! xoxo
DeleteI love this post. Loved Annie's book. Made me think of bravery in a whole new way... me, an introvert, who would never consider myself brave. Thanks for the reminder about taking risks and God rewarding us. Just look at Abraham. He had no idea where he was even going!!! Yet God rewarded him because of his obedience. Praying that we can be obedient in His calling... no matter how big and small.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Lauren! I am praying in agreement with you, friend! Thanks so much for stopping by!
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