Sunday, July 13, 2008

Courage

What is courage? I'm asking this because I decided it might be what's best for my case of today's blues.*

I'd love to hear your thoughts on courage, so I invite you to leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Courage is taking the next step when I have a heart that won't stop being achy.

Courage is knowing tomorrow will be better.

Courage is calling a friend to say "I need to talk."

Courage is realizing I don't have all the answers.

Courage is walking through the pain instead of masking it. It toughens one's soul like hot coals toughen one's soles.

Courage is admitting to God I can't handle it on my own. It's being willing to say I'm weak.

Courage is remembering God doesn't change; He still cares and He's there when I don't "feel" Him.

Courage is always loving the other person (any other person) more than myself.

Courage is being willing to accept the heavy cross. (Wisdom is letting God help me carry it. :)

Courage is pulling on the last little bit of what's in me to remain positive.

Courage is faith, courage is prayer, courage is Christ in the Mass.

Courage is knowing there is hope because of the overwhelming beauty of creation all around me.

Courage is knowing that I am not God; courage is trust in He who is.

Courage is doing the next right thing and...

Courage is being willing to wait.

*It is always hard for me to admit to being down; I suppose that takes courage, too. David wrote Psalms of both praise and sorrow, and it's interesting that both are part of scripture.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Esther...one person I admire for her courage is Saint Faustina (my patron saint). Go to my blog, I posted a song for you!

Blessings and peace,
Mibsy

Kat Mortensen said...

Hi Esther!

Just stopping in to see if you got my e-mail? I sent it to the address in your profile.

Thanks for visiting my blog and for your kind comments.

Kat

Esther said...

Dear Mibsy: What a lovely patron saint you have! St. Faustina was certainly courageous. And thank you so much for the Psalm and song you posted for me. I am greatly humbled and blessed.

Dear Kat: Yes, I did receive your lovely email, which I greatly appreciate. Please accept my apologies for not having answered it before now. Funny thing, I began to answer, then got distracted and never got back to it. You'll be hearing from me soon! :)

MuseSwings said...

Courage is stopping to listen to Him for direction rather than always dashing off into the night of our problems and worries saying "Watch me! I know how to solve this all by myself!

Esther said...

Dear Museswings: I cannot say "Amen!" enough to your comment. That describes me more than I care to admit. Blessings to you!

Lavinia said...

You've described courage in its many different forms here, so eloquently. I think someone once said that courage is being afraid but forging ahead regardless (or words to that effect).

It's a beautiful, noble word: Courage.

Esther said...

Dear Lavinia: Yes! I love that description of courage... that it's not the absence of fear, but proceeding even if one is afraid. (Unfortunately I do not know the exact quote either.) God bless you!

Cell Belle said...

Courage is needed when grieving.....it is what it takes to enter into weeping so hard that the sounds you make become inaudible...silence becomes the product of those wrenching, anguished moments---minutes---hours---days....yes even weeks and you and God step into the resulting stillness together.

Then and only then can one know the Comforter has not just arrived post turmoil.....instead He is there with us in it --indeed is the turmoil.....for He designed our beings to have the physical capacity to grieve and our expression of greif is the very act required for gaining comfort. Our courageousness is expressed when we accept that the pain must take up residence in our bodies and moved through in the here and now.

Esther said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Esther said...

Dear Cell Belle: Spoken as someone who knows... Thanks for sharing.