Courage in the messy middle
If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know a few things about One Foot Coaching. You may know that the name of my business came out of my passion that we can all live with everyday courage. You may also know that I based the name on the story of Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on water. Lastly, you may know that I believe that courage is feeling the fear and trusting God to help you do it anyway.
I’ve been both someone who champions courage in the lives of women and a learner of what true courage means. I’ve learned, over the years, that courage for you looks different than what courage looks like for me.
What I’m learning lately
I’ve been studying courage for years, so I was surprised when my business and success coach asked me a questions abouts courage recently.
“What if courage was found, not just in the stepping out of the boat, but in the walking on water?”
You may see no difference. I was the same. I had a little AHA in processing the question in the moment, but as I sat with it, and as God kept bringing it back to me, I found so many implications for living out of a place of courageous faith. Wondering what those implication are? Keep reading…
Courage happens when we remember
When I think about Peter, I liken him to me. The fun in courage - if you can call it that - was doing the bold thing for one moment. One bold step out of the boat = a moment of courage. The question Suzy asked me though lingered because it also takes courage to remember the path God has called you to. To keep stepping forward, even when you see the waters rise around you like Peter. To start to grasp the enormity not of that first steps, but of the next steps that are ahead. Courage comes when we remember our commitment to follow God even when it feels like He’s not working or when we’re waiting.
Courage happens when we choose faithfulness
I read this book years ago called The Land Between. The author recounts the wilderness wanderings of Israel and labels this time the in between. They had left Egypt and had not yet reached the Promised Land. He went on to challenge us readers. You and i? We also have times of the in between. We’ve made the initial step out of the boat, but haven’t quite arrived at our Promised Land. We are walking and waiting at the same time. We don’t know how long it will be until our pictured promise becomes a reality. We do know that God has called us to walk with Him - stepping out of the boat.
What I’ve realized in my own journey, is that making the initial step out of the boat is a moment of courage, but it’s not the only moment of courage. Sometimes God calls us to be faithful right where we are - after that initial step - and keep walking even when we can only see the next step. Courage is a faithfulness to God and what you heard in the light. In HIs Word. Through your community. And committing to it even when it feels like you’re just wandering in the wilderness.
Courage happens when we trust
Here’s one lesson learned from Peter’s story that we rarely talk about. In a moment, Peter took his impulsive courage and stepped out of the boat. He made it a few steps and then reality set in. Am I really doing this - am I really walking on water? He began to sink until Jesus grabbed him. Whether he continued to walk on water or he began to sink - Jesus had him. He was there all the time.
We don’t talk about this much in Christian circles - but on many days - it takes courage to trust God with our unknowns. It takes courage to trust God with our next steps. It takes courage to keep walking on water and it takes courage to admit we’re doubting and sinking at the same time.
Friends, I don’t know where you’re at today. In our world today, there are many unknowns. We don’t always know what’s next. Quite frankly, that first step out of the boat is the easy one. Jesus said come on. It’s exciting and new. But what I’m realizing in the day to day, regardless of what’s happening in the world, courage is the willingness to walk with God in the mundane. In the seasons of life. When no one is watching except God.
True confession? I don’t have this mastered, but as a meditate on this thought that courage is found in the land in between I am comforted to know that what I’m doing today has implications for courageous faith and what’s ahead for my tomorrows.
