Today I am thankful for courage. The dictionary defines “courage” as “the ability to do something that frightens one, [as well as the exhibition of] strength in the face of pain or grief.” So, in essence, courage is the difference between knowing that something challenging needs to be done – something that may cause you to be concerned, a bit anxious, and may even cause you to have to step out of your comfort zone – and actually taking the necessary steps to resolve the situation.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the position where we absolutely know what we need to do, but we just do not want to do it for some reason or another. On other occasions, we may not be quite so sure of what we should do, and we might be anxious because we do not want to make the wrong decision. In other instances, we may be hesitant to act because we are concerned about the possible results of our decision to act – will the person whom I love understand why I made the decision that I made and give me the benefit of the doubt? Will my boss realize that my choice to act the way that I did was based on what was best for the situation at hand? Will my professor respect my choice to assert my opinion that is contrary to his or her own? And it is when we thoughtfully evaluate the situation at hand, lovingly consider everyone involved, and then step out on faith and follow what we believe is the best course of action that courage makes an appearance.
This is a concept that is especially relevant for me today, in that I had to recently make a substantial decision that has affected me on a very deep level. I absolutely needed to make the decision that I made, but I did not want to have to make and then act on it. And the main reason why I did not want to make the decision that I needed to make and then act on it was because I did not want to hurt the other person involved, and I did not want the other person involved to possibly misunderstand my reasons for making the choice that I made. And fear of the unknown was certainly staring me boldly in the face, dancing circles around me, and laughing at me as I struggled with making the choice to act and determining how to facilitate that action. Ultimately, I did make the decision that I needed to make and I acted on that decision. And despite the fact that at this point I have no idea how things will turn out, I am leaving everything in God’s hands and trusting that I handled everything the way that I needed to and that everything will turn out the way that it is supposed to.
It is not easy to demonstrate courage, especially when we as human beings find ourselves so invested in certain situations, circumstances, and outcomes, but it is absolutely essential to the growth and maturity that is needed in life. #lovebythedrop
love by the drop 