When A New Thought Won't Leave You...

I close my eyes and hear the rhythm of traffic down below and the sun calling out to me, beckoning me to come outside and let its' rays soak in deep... thawing those chilled and frozen spaces the winter tends to harden.

Still instead of running, I hunker down and I can feel the Father's arms wrap around me and He gently lays my head to rest on His chest. I can hear the thumping of His heart and how it beats for me.

I lean in closer and wrap my arms around His waist and His heart races faster and I am reminded that I am His and He is Mine and we were created to be one.

A friend was teaching last week and as she opened in prayer, she said one simple sentence that has refused to leave me ever since.

She said,

"Jesus was so brave to come to us..."

So Brave.

Wait... what? 

I have thought of Jesus as being many things - but I don't know that I had really stopped to think about how it may have required a bit of Brave to leave all of heaven and take such a risk on us! 

I knew it took a lot of love, and a lot of sacrifice... but brave?

When she said it she just moved right along but my breath was caught up in my throat at the mere suggestion of it.

I could see it... 
Jesus putting on brave before standing to His feet and resolving to risk it all in order to win our hearts.  

I mean, sure... He's the Alpha and Omega and He knows the beginning and the end... and yet - Free will, man.  

He risked everything in order to pursue us... 

I don't know about you, but for me? Well - God has been calling me to stand up taller and not shrink back over the last few years. 

As I reflect back to the times when I have walked the bravest, I realize have been the times that I have been standing up for --standing in for-- the ones I love!

Our Savior, our High Priest, is One who can sympathize with our weaknesses, --He "has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Heb 4:15) 

So of course --Of course he must be able to relate to our need to push through fear and take a risk to be brave, right?

Of course He can... 
He was brave for us
long before we ever had a chance
to be brave for Him!

He loved us first...  and best!
He's just the most romantic... and the bravest, too!
He left all of heaven, and put on brave, 
to win me... and to win you!

Now if that thought alone doesn't begin to thaw
those frozen spaces, then I don't know what will!

P.S.  I'm linking up with these lovely writers:

The Community over at #SmallWonders 

Laura Boggess over at #ChasingTheBlueFlower

Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp

Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory

Have you ever thought of how Jesus was Brave?