You are Braver Than You Know.

One of my favorite movies is Cinderella. I'm not talking about the classic fairytale version. I'm talking about the live version produced by Disney in 2015. I realize all the Cinderella movies are basically the same. I can be a sucker for romantic movies, but that isn't the reason I like this particular version. I love the character. I love the storyline. Come on, who doesn't? The truth is there is one particular line that I love the most. It is at the very beginning of the movie where Ella's mom gives her the advice to a strong life.

Ella's Mom: "I have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer. Have courage and be kind. When there is kindness, there is goodness. When there is goodness, there is magic."

Have courage and be kind.

I resonated with that line. I still do. It feels like I try to strive for that in every part of my being. Notice that the secret to life did not involve wealth. It did not involve love or success. No, it involved courage and kindness and goodness. It didn't involve physical things that we can obtain. It was all about our character and who we are becoming. This is who she was and who we are meant to be. This concept is not far from us.

Have courage and be kind.

Did you know there are 114 instances of courage in the Bible? That's a lot of instances to talk about courage. The word "courage" and "have courage" have been used approximately 35 times in this Bible. I don't know but I think this might be important.

In Mark 5, there are two instances of healing which entail moments of faith and courage. The hemorrhaging woman and Jairus’ daughter. After the woman courageously reaches out for Jesus, He tells her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you." After Jairus' daughter is supposedly dead, Jesus tells him, "Do not be afraid; just believe." Jesus is basically telling him to keep believing and to not give up hope.

What we learn from this is that faith is healing and faith contains courage. Both lead us closer to Jesus. Take courage. Be bold. Don’t be afraid but keep the faith. It goes back to holding onto the character and power of Jesus.

Do we believe Jesus when we cannot trace Him? Faith is healing but faith also leads to healing. We are called to have courage and to keep believing.

Have courage and be kind

I didn’t feel like I had faith but I could see notes of courage throughout. Some pointed by others. I had no idea how tied courage was with faith. I felt faithless but I was courageous and had more faith than I knew. I truly was braver than I knew. But others knew. God knew. God knew who He created. He made one of me for a purpose and for a reason and this would be another journey of discovering what that might be. 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9-11

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

2 Tim. 1:7

Courage. A word we use often or maybe not quite enough. We are given courage, faith, to keep moving and keep believing.

Courage is defined as this: "The ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous." I have done this in many faces of life. Courage is a word that has come up for me in the past year and has become a word to embrace in this next year. It is a word that people have used to describe me and my faith.

Courage is a strange thing really. I always denote the word courage to heroes or strong leaders. I think of war heroes or people like Queen Elizabeth. But I would seldom think of courage as a word to describe myself. Yet, I think it reveals itself deeply.

In the movie, Princess Diaries, Philippe Renaldi shares with Mia:

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all."

I think I made a choice a long time ago that fear was not going to be the thing that held me back. It's not that it doesn't exist in my life. It's just that I don't let it be a determining factor in my decision. It is no longer an excuse for living the best life I can.

Have courage and be kind

I've heard the word courage from people who have seen it in me. From people who had no idea what this word meant to me. I've read through Annie F. Downs' book, 100 Days to Brave, to specifically navigate a season of transition. It has helped me become brave in many different ways. I remember the first week of the devotional and how it said: You are braver than you know. I felt that in my soul. You are braver than you know. God brought people into my life to believe for me when I couldn’t. I didn’t believe I was brave. But I was.

I embraced every single day as a challenge to become brave. On the very last day, Annie Downs instructed her readers to write a phrase on the mirror. I listened to her instructions, and I wrote on my mirror: "I am braver than I realize." I also wrote underneath that phrase "Be proud of who you are becoming."

Courage is healing. Courage leads to healing. Courage leads us closer to the well of Jesus.

"Courage equals stepping out and trying."

Annie F. Downs

Bravery needs vulnerability. Bravery also produces excitement and anticipation. Bravery has led me to do the unthinkable. I courageously looked for our first home in Seattle all by myself. I bravely begun the grand adventure of settling into a new and big city. Oh, and I started dating again. That is a brave adventure all on its own. I met a nice guy. He wasn't the guy for me, but he did share with me something about my courage that even I was unaware of.

"I just wanted to let you know that I really think you are beautiful, strong, and a great person so I'm really glad I got to meet you."

This gives evidence to this courage I didn't know I had. I don't know but I think that courage reflects itself in beauty and I choose to believe that is what he saw. I believe that is what so many people see. God is showing me how strong I am through other people.

I have not felt very brave on this journey. But I have been reminded that I am braver than I know and I just have to believe that. I have to believe that God is doing more than I could ever imagine.  

I remember crying in the guest room of my boss's house when I lost my apartment. I was unsure of what the next step would be. She was trying to help me to come up with a plan. But I felt lonely and overwhelmed. I took a picture after I cried in this room. I took the picture and saved it because I wanted to remember that face. That face is a face of courage. A face of someone who may have been tired but it was the face of someone who was going to keep fighting, keep trying. Keep believing. I was at the end of myself in this picture. I know a year from now I will be better for it all. I know I will have grown. 

When there is kindness, there is goodness. When there is goodness, there is magic. I'm going to be part of this magic.

Just wait and see.