You Make Me Brave?

Jewelry by Premiere with the exception of the giving key necklace

Outfit Lowdown:
Top: Old
Skinnies: WHBM
Ballet Flats: Nine West
Purse: My fancy purse with a strap being held on by scotch tape. Cuz I'm fancy.

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Soooo, I've been pondering the art of being courageous. What does it mean to be brave? Doesn't that look different for each individual? For some, that may mean death defying acts of what I call craziness such as: cliff diving, bungee jumping, high diving (gather I'm afraid of heights?) and the list goes on. For others it may be speaking in front of a crowd, asking a gal out for a date, sharing your deep convictions and beliefs with another, going to a friend or family member with a conflict that needs to be resolved and that list could go on forever. This leads me to believe that bravery comes in all forms; in many manifestations.

A friend once told me that I'm brave and I must be confident in myself because I can bust out some goofy, ridiculous videos and post them for all to see.  Yeah. I don't think anything of that.  Perhaps I should be scared.

You know something that scares me? Cuz I've been thinking about this. Remember my post on being FEARFUL? Well, these thoughts seem to be building from there. What scares me is that something I consider to be a personal failure will define me. That I will come home from that supposed failure and feel useless, followed by a belief in the lie that others can do what I'm called to do better.

You ever experience failure? You don't forget how it feels. I went to a family member years ago and shared my heart about an issue that concerned me and it was not received well at all. That could be classified as a failure. It leaves a mark. And a fear begins to form when you think about sharing again with someone else down the road. Who wants to relive that?

Or how bout when you put yourself out there and you're not picked? Have you been passed over time and time again?

This is where a whole new level of courage comes into play. When you already know what it feels like if it goes wrong. We talk about the fear of the unknown. What about the fear of the known??

"If I mess this up, I may never be picked again."

Versus 

"I messed that up. They didn't pick me again and it was so awkward being around them."

OR

I'm nervous, but I can't wait to share my ideas with the team!

Versus

No one liked my ideas at the last meeting, which made me feel like a useless idiot. Why should I try to come up with more ideas?

Oh, Wait! This makes me think of a friend of mine that is about to have her 5th baby. Her first three children were born in the hospital, but after research and prayer her and her husband decided they would have the 4th child at home. I remember her being fearful and nervous about going 100% natural. It was the fear of the unknown. And from her telling, childbirth the old fashioned way is quite painful. She remembers it very well and admits to being far more nervous this go round. I think she is brave because in spite of knowledge that comes from experience, a home birth is their plan once again.

 As a believer in Creator God, I know that this is a trust issue. I am called to trust Him with my outcomes, good or bad. When I step out I'm saying, "God you're in control and I trust you to bring glory to yourself however you choose, knowing that may mean success and favor or failure and rejection.

To clarify, I am not talking about failure due to being ill-prepared, in the wrong place, or not working on the right gifts. I'm talking about moving forward with everything you've got. Comprende? (However, God is so good and full of grace that He brings good out of those too. That's a whole other post.)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5,6

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

***Now what? ***

• I accept that what's done is done. There's no changing the past and thank God we are not defined by our past!  
• Then I look back and think about what I can positively learn from history.  What would I do differently, if I could?  
• Keep the Bible close at hand and dig in! (with so many distractions this is harder than it sounds)
• I prayerfully move forward to ensure that I'm headed in the right direction.  
• Allow the mistakes to drive me to improve, by working on my "craft".
• Then I expect different results, but trust God with the outcome.  Every experience is a new one, regardless of how similar it may look.  
• I surround myself with positive reinforcement. Friends that encourage, pray for you and lift you up.
• Prepare to be blessed! Blessings come in all forms and fashions. There are blessings in pain, as well as the good. 

Surrounding myself with prayerful and supportive friends (that I in return support and pray for) is a biggie for me.  A friend dropped this necklace into my bag. It came in a cute wrapping, tied with string. Besides the actual gift itself, there was a note encouraging me to keep on creating.  God knew I needed that boost. He is faithful and proves Himself (though He does not need to) time and time again.

"The Giving Key" necklace