{Word of 2013: Brave}

Brave

brāv

    adjective

    1.     ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.

            synonyms: courageous, valiant, valorous, intrepid, heroic, lionhearted, bold, fearless, gallant, 

            daring, plucky, audacious

            antonyms: cowardly

    verb

    1.     endure or face (unpleasant conditions or behavior) without showing fear.

I was scared at the beginning of this year.  I had a lot of things on my mind.  Friends? Family? School? Classes? Car? Car payments? Rent? The next five years?  I began the spring and fall semesters freshly dumped on by stress and anxiety.  As I pushed along, I remembered the Lord being near me, even when I complained to Him about how suckey I thought life was.  He listened.  I told Him about how alone I felt.  He listened.  I told Him about how bad my back was hurting.  He listened.  I told Him about the classes I didn’t want to take anymore.  He listened.  Nothing really changed until I started asking Him for help after I was done complaining.  That’s when the courage set in.  Half way through this past semester, with all of these complaints on my mind, God heard me ask Him for help amidst my complaining.  He helped me.  God gave me courage to face the rest of the semester in every way.  The one word I have received from God this year is: Brave.  Brave because of God.  With God’s bravery to me, I have also been able to recognize bravery in others.  There were signs of bravery everywhere theis year.

Bravery to begin the last year of high school without old companions, but with new companions, and a good direction.

Bravery to finish strong, his first race!

Bravery in facing physical pain to have physical gain.

Bravery to lead, even when it seems like there is little chance of winning.

Bravery in pushing against the flesh, even when pain is so strong.

Bravery in finishing the hardest semester of Undergrad.

Bravery in facing an intimidating struggle, even when it feels like we've lost a part of the self, we know it's been restored to something even better.

Bravery to go somewhere far away because we know that's what is best for us to grow.

Bravery to fix what is broken, even if it takes a chiropractor, and ice pack, encouraging friends, and constant pain at the beginning; we know that things need to get worse before they can get better.

I don't have any pictures of me at the chiropractor, so this, I thought, would be a good fill-in for the moment ;)

Bravery to love and be married, even though so many asked why we don't just wait.  We knew it was the time, the right time, for us, and so far God has shown us just how providential His timing has been this year.

Brave ones.  That’s the word I kept hearing, and that’s the kind of person I kept seeing: brave.  This year has been a daunting year in more ways than I have mentioned.  Lots of pain, sorrow, triumph, and struggle to be faced and everyone faced bravely.  God is ever present in us, and He gives us our encouragement.  God gave us this word :: brave :: because He is brave for us.  Now let’s use this bravery from last year to face the next one!  What will the word of next year be?

Stay brave, world changers!