Heart
In the midst of global chaos, I have seen our humanity shine. I have seen consideration for the less fortunate. I have seen food banks open in light of school closures. I have seen attention given to the elderly. I’ve seen courage in the face of despair. I’ve seen our heart. It doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would. We still have hope. We still have joy. We still have fight. We still believe. We still have love. It is a heart filled with love that cares for the needy, and feeds the homeless, and nurtures the sick.
The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart. – Helen Keller
Braveheart
1 John 4:18 NIV There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I think the hardest thing to recover from is heartbreak. After you’ve been hurt, its hard to love again because fear is present. Fear brings back memories of past pain. Fear reminds you. Fear encourages isolation. Fear discourages you. Fear fuels doubt. To love again, requires you to push back your emotions. To love again, requires you to trust again. To love again, requires you to believe again. To love again, requires you to have a braveheart. You do have a braveheart. You have been given the ability to forgive and forget, and to love again. You have a braveheart that heals itself. You have a braveheart that’s waiting on you.
Moved
The Book of Psalms references not being moved or shaken. It describes a tree planted by rivers, and God being a rock and salvation. We live in a world that promotes fleeting emotions, and we find ourselves rooted in nothing. Our foundations are unsure because we don’t believe in anything. What was the last thing you felt so strongly about that you could not be moved or shaken? How grounded are you? What do you believe? Are you planted or placed? Is God really your rock and salvation? Be strong and of courage. Don’t be moved.
Virtue
Merit. Morals. Morality. Strength. Courage. Standards. All of these words come to mind when I think of virtue. My imagination takes me to the time of Ladies and Lords, a time when chivalry was the norm. The four classic cardinal virtues are temperance, prudence, courage, and justice. Christianity derives the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love from 1 Corinthians. Love being the greatest of these. What virtues do we esteem? Do we still have morals and standards or is chaos the norm? Do we not respect each other? Have we lost our virtue? Has it slipped away from us under the guise of being politically correct? How do we get it back?
"Love means to love that which is unlovable; or it is no virtue at all." -Gilbert K. Chesterton
Courage
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
cour·age ˈkərij/ noun
the ability to do something that frightens one.
- strength in the face of pain or grief.
Strength has never been a difficult thing for me. I was raised by a single parent. My mother taught me how to be strong. The women in my family are fierce. Strength came easy, but courage was something different. I knew how to handle difficult situations. I knew how to manage my emotions. I knew how to "get over it," but courage was something different. Courage meant acknowledging my fear. It meant unpacking all the fear. It meant opening the closet and letting the skeletons fall out. It meant doing the hard work. Courage meant standing even though my knees were shaking. Courage meant to knock on the door. Courage meant to try "it" again. Courage meant knowing that no matter what it looked like God is with me. Courage meant my faith had to be bigger than my fears. I encourage you today to be strong and of good courage. God is with you.