You Make Me Brave
I stand before You now
The greatness of your renown
I have heard the majesty and wonder of you
King of Heaven, in humility, I bow
As Your love, in wave after wave
Crashes over me, crashes over me
For You are for us
You are not against us
Champion of Heaven
You made a way for all to enter in
I have heard You calling my name
I have heard the song of love that You sing
So I will let You draw me out beyond the shore
Into Your grace
Into Your grace
As Your love, in wave after wave
Crashes over me, crashes over me
For You are for us
You are not against us
Champion of Heaven
You made a way for all to enter in
You make me brave
You make me brave
You call me out beyond the shore into the waves
You make me brave
I believe people fall into two very distinct categories…those who wake up and say “Awesome, I have to go to the mall today!” and those who would rather have a root canal without pain relief. I fall into the latter, for sure!
It’s even more traumatic when I have to go to the mall during school holidays…the noise does my head in. Usually I rush around, get things done and scamper home. But not today. I lingered, I sipped on an almond milk chai latte, all by myself, while observing the poor mummas, at the end of their rope, trying to explain to a boisterous toddler why jumping on the café seats isn’t a good idea.
It got me thinking about bravery. Not the kind that we celebrate, especially now, in the light of recent events that unfolded in America, as stories of bravery flood social media. Also not the kind of bravery that last all of the 20 seconds that it takes to run into a burning house to save a child, or jump into a raging ocean to rescue a swimmer. Those are all commendable and should definitely be celebrated – heroes are few and far between, but I am thinking about a different, altogether unseen, rarely celebrated and undervalued kind of brave.
I am thinking about the kind of brave that Jesus displayed during the time He walked the earth…the gut-wrenching brave it requires to forgive the unforgivable, to endure humiliation, abandonment, betrayal, excruciating physical pain and emotional anguish that causes you to sweat blood.
So I want to salute you, brave young mum doing the best that you can despite your own brokenness, your own anxieties and your own sense of failure. I know you are tired sweetheart, but this too shall pass and you are doing a great job. You were handpicked for that little one, you have everything that he/she needs and you are not alone. That diagnosis, those words from the frustrated teacher, those looks from a disapproving audience…it does not matter. Hang in there, you do not know who you are raising, but Abba Father knows and he put that precious child in your arms because YOU are His gift to that child.
And you, hurting spouse, who just found out the depth of the betrayal from the person you trusted most, will receive grace for brave. Jesus knows betrayal well and He will forgive through you, until you can do it for yourself. I know it will take a special brave to get up every morning, but you will. Every time you wonder whether a person can die from a broken heart, you’ll hear Holy Spirit whisper “Yes, Jesus did”, but you won’t. If you can stay brave enough, for long enough, you will heal, you will forgive, you will trust again…but until then, I honour you for being willing to try, even if just for today.
And my friend, staggering out the doctor’s office with a death warrant signed, sealed and delivered, or you who knows your illness won’t kill you, but will make you suffer unimaginable pain, for you grieving loss of whatever kind, for you having to confess your hidden sin or your addiction to those you love most, fearing rejection, and for you who have been caught out, who is now wearing a cloak of shame…hear my applause. You are going to do the hard thing, you are going to dig deep and find buried treasure…enough brave to get you through the day. You are going to hang onto the brave, for the day, for the hour, for the moment, but you are not going to give up.
I want to honour you, every one of you unsung, unseen, forgotten brave souls. You are doing a great job and you are working on an incredible testimony. I don’t know your name, I don’t know your story, I can only imagine your pain but I know this I (we, you) can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Phil.4: 13)