This Is My Brave

brave [breyv]
{verb} to meet or face courageously, to defy/challenge/dare,
{adjective}possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance
{noun} a warrior
{synonyms}bold, daring, courageous, fearless, valiant, gallant in the face of danger or difficulties

I am not a risk taker.  I am a rule follower and I like staying in the safe zone.  I don't like stepping out in courage in the face of difficulties.  When struggles come, my first reaction is to hide and ignore.  I am not one to face a challenge head on.  I avoid conflict at all costs.

That definition of brave?  At first glance, I am far from it.  Fearless? Valiant? Courageous? Bold?  Who me???

Annie Downs writes in her newest book, Let's All Be Brave: "If we are each as unique as the Bible says we are, then our calls to courage are each equally unique...Courage looks different for each of us." Maybe brave for me isn't being a missionary in a far away country in the middle of no where.  What if, for me, brave simply means getting out of bed with a smile on my face ready to face the endless piles of laundry, never ending discipline, and overwhelming responsibilities of every day living with perseverance and purpose?

Sometimes brave simply means recognizing the beauty and value in who God made me to be and being confident of my calling, no matter what anyone else might say.  I know my children are a gift and I'm grateful for this life, but it's easy to get caught up in comparing and forget that what I am doing right here, right now matters.

So, when my littlest one starts to fuss, I put down my to do list and pick her up, even if all she wants is for me to hold her and talk to her while she smiles and coos.  Because the time and love I give her now matters.  And when the big kids beg me to read them a story for the millionth time, I do it with a grateful heart, because this is my purpose right here, right now.  This is my brave.  

Brave also means sharing my story, every hard and broken piece of it, and boldly testifying about all the ways God has used all of the bad for good.  It means letting down my guard and opening up my heart to a new friend, even when I'm scared of being hurt.  Someone, somewhere needs to know they are not alone and that God can make beauty out of any of our ashes.  Brave is recognizing His purpose in it all and the way He has never forgotten or forsaken me along the way.

Some days, being brave means hitting post or publish when the words on my heart need to be shared, no matter how terrified I might be of what others might think or say about me.  Or maybe it means sending a message, and email, or a text, or making that phone call I've been dreading.  Remember how I said I avoid conflict at all costs?  Yeah, being brave sometimes means facing those confrontations and speaking the truth in love.

So, when a mom I've only just met moments before hints at the broken pieces of her story that are so similar to my own, I ignore the schedule and noise around me and begin to open my own heart to her.  As I speak and our stories become intertwined, we both find our brave.  Just like Annie says, "You aren't headed out to find courage.  It's in you, it is blooming, and it is with you as you travel and say yes to things that seem scary."  This, right here - sharing my story and connecting with a new friend - this is my brave.  I hug this new found friend and, as we both walk back to our daily lives, I'm grateful, so grateful for the way God really does work all things together for good. 

My brave might not look like your brave, but that doesn't mean my brave is not brave.  The only one who gets to define my brave...is me.  God has placed a specific purpose and calling on each of our lives and sometimes the bravest moment is when we step forward and allow Him to finish the work He began in us.

*Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Dayspring and inspired by their new line of Letterpress Blocks, but the words and stories are my own.