We might think that being courageous is strictly for heroes and heroines. But we’d be wrong. Because all of us will face difficulties and challenges, need to access courage, develop resilience, and discover our inner brave as we take each small step of faith.
With God’s help, we can scale the mountains before us or find a way to go around them. Although the path might be thorny and hard, God will infuse strength and courage into our hearts. All we need do is ask.
“Nothing but encouragement can come to us as we dwell upon the faithful dealing of our Heavenly Father in centuries gone by. Faith in God has not saved people from hardships and trials, but it has enabled them to bear tribulations courageously and to emerge victoriously.” — Lee Roberson
Courage
tugging at weeds
I disturb a sleepy beetle
he staggers out blind
moves drunkenly across grass
losing his way on hot tiles
I watch him
skittering unsteadily
like a skater
wobbling on the ice
thrown off their stride
before long
he seeks refuge again
a dark recess
lush, fresh greenery
a new, safe habitat
it doesn’t take much
a gentle tug alone
stirs us to move
out of our comfort zone
where courage awaits us
we might blink
unaccustomed
like moles in the light
having to leave behind
our familiar places
we recoil
grip tight on the usual
before reaching out
to touch the new and the next
we’re being called to embrace
eventually
however weak-kneed we feel
our fingers test walls
we probe possibilities
and find our way home
© joylenton
“Down through the centuries in times of trouble and trial God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him. The Bible is filled with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause fears to arise in the human heart. You can look ahead with promise, hope, and joy.” — Billy Graham
Where are you needing courage today, my friend? Turn to God and seek His help. God will always rise to give us strength and help us face whatever is making us afraid. Hold onto God’s promises, and wait for Him to act on your behalf as you take the first tentative steps forward. Though your heart might quake and quail, remember that His courage never fails.
PS: I have a free pdf soul care gift for you today!
< – – Just click on the image here to download it.
It’s called Soul Shots: 31 Days of Pocket Wisdom for Your Hurting Heart, and is an eclectic mix of reflections and poetry.
May it bless and encourage your heart and bring back hope when life gets hard and dark. 🙂 ❤
Poetry Joy 
Dear Joy,
Your poetry touched me so deeply today. And you described so well those skittering beetles and startled moles! Your gift for expressing what so many of us pass right over is so precious. This stanza is so near to what I’ve felt in this new place:
“we might blink
unaccustomed
like moles in the light
having to leave behind
our familiar places”
Thank you for your encouragement to remember that HE does have courage for us right here. I am so grateful for the gift of your new book! Thank you for your generous gifting of words for all of us here to read. May the Lord bless you as you so freely share His comfort with us. Blessings, love, and hugs to you dear friend. xoxo
Dear Bettie, for years I used to be one of the unseeing ones when it came to common or garden things, but decades of increasing incapacity have given me a greater hunger for wonder, and a growing ability to appreciate the mini miracles in our midst. The experience of lockdown seems to have intensified people’s desire for nature, including reading more books about the natural world. We’ve developed a deeper gratitude for the sheer beauty of it all and the soul soothing, healing power it has to keep us calm. I’m not a great fan of change, but thankfully, God gives us the courage to move forward if necessary or to stay still in a place that’s not of our choosing, physically, spiritually or emotionally. Whichever it is, we can rely on His light, joy and peace being within our reach. Guidance and support are only ever a prayer away. I hope you are blessed by the free ebook gift! I know I have always benefited from the comfort you so freely share from your place of hardship and pain. Blessings, love, and hugs to you, too, dear friend! xoxo 💜
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Thank you so much for encouraging us to rise up to life’s challenges, Joy. Also for this song. I needed to be reminded of it. Oh, how I do need that courage! Thank you for the book, too! I just read the first one, and it brings tears to my eyes, too. “Herein lies a challenge to us all. How to live courageously, fully and freely within the place in which we dwell—mentally, physically and spiritually. I believe we can live brave, unfettered, and unchained.” Thank you so much for speaking the longings of my heart. Love and blessings of God’s courage and strength to you!
I wrote most of the book during lockdown as a response to the huge challenges many were facing, and still are. The need for holy courage never goes away, does it? Oh how I need it, too! Thank you so much for your kind encouragement, Trudy, and for downloading the free resource. I hope and pray that more of it will speak to you as you read each day’s section and the poem that follows. Your heart longings mirror my own and we seek our help and strength from the same place. May God grant us the grace to trust in His provision, protection and care, and believe that change for the better is possible for us as we surrender our hurts and fears to Him. Love and blessings of God’s courage and strength to you, too, dear friend! xo ❤️