Courage & God

After a rather emotionally tumultuous yesterday afternoon, I rediscovered my courage and realized I have met and witnessed courage in many forms over the last few weeks.  The obvious being the firefighters and first responders right here in Colorado risking their lives so other lives, homes and property can be saved.  Truly amazing and inspiring.

There are other types of courage though.  I have met Moms preserving to breastfeed their babies while out in public against admonishing glares, parents trying to overcome the heartache they feel when their child is diagnosed with a disability or illness.  I have met single moms who are trying to provide a secure, loving environment for their child amidst tumult and distress.  I know people who are (and have) battled cancer, lost everything in a fire, lost their minds (literally) and are in financial distress.  What all these people have in common is their courage to keep going, to get up every day, to put others before themselves and most importantly do all this loving God and doing their best to Serve God.

It is my opinion that we are living in very troubling times and I often fear for my children, what their future will be like.  Then I remember that if I do my best (together with my husband) then the rest is up to God.  If we teach our children to be followers of Christ, they will get through whatever hardships they encounter and ultimately be closer to Christ.  That is my wish for my children; to serve God lovingly, willingly without wavering and to be home with Him in Heaven one day.   


I'd like to leave you with this prayer:

"O my Jesus, the Cross is Your standard; I should be ashamed to ask to be delivered from it. From one evil only I ardently beg You to preserve me: from any deliberate sin, however slight. O Lord, I beg You by the merits of Your Sacred Passion to keep all sin far from me. But as for other evils--bodily or spiritual sufferings, physical pain or mental anguish--I beg Your light and strength: light to understand the hidden meaning which they have in the plans of Your divine Providence, light to believe firmly that every sorrow or trial, every pain or disappointment, is planned by You for my greater good; strength not to let myself be influenced by the false maxims of the world or led astray by the vain mirage of earthly happiness, strength to accept suffering of any kind with courage and love." ~Divine Intimacy

Vulnerability from an unlikely source...

Here is one of those moments I've been thinking about in my head for a week and decided to write it down.  Perhaps someone else will benefit.

I went in last week for a massage, something I do not do regularly.  At first I was quite excited, I was looking forward to some quiet time to myself, a chance to unwind and hopefully have some aches and pains worked out if at least for a short while. 

As I was getting ready I got suddenly shy.  I thought, "O.K., I know this person isn't going to "see" anything, the therapist is another woman and I'm only here for 80 minutes so what is the big deal?"  I felt like I had a whispering in my ear and believe it or not I think it was God trying to use this as a teachable moment.  What really did I have to fear?  Nothing at that moment in time.  A stretch you say?  From a massage to a Jesus moment?  Well yes, and for a mother of five small children, I'll take what I can get!  Silence isn't usually golden in my home and if there is silence it means someone is up to something. 

So there I was receiving a wonderful, much needed massage, being reminded I am sore and out of shape (working on that), and thinking about how we make ourselves vulnerable to others and other situations, but we will not give ourselves over to God.  We will not expose our fears and hurts to the one who can help us the most!  I am a person who likes to plan, not strict, but I do like a some structure and I have difficulty just letting my need to "control" the situation go.  However, when I "let go and let God" take the reigns, I have been blessed unexpectedly and beautifully.  I am often graced by my children's ability to teach me about charity, love, patience and quite frankly how doing the little things matter so much. 

So the next time you are in a situation as simple (and maybe as silly) as getting a massage, listen.  God may just be trying to tell you something when you least expect it. 

Blessings.

Stella