Ordinary Time

Pause

Neither age nor gender defines what bravery looks like.

Being brave emerges from the strength God gives us.

God calls us to be brave enough to love others at all times.

Listen

You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy so that my whole being might sing praises to you and never stop. Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Psalm 30:11-12

Think

Being brave can look quite ordinary. Making the choice to get up, show up, and dig in takes courage when life is hard. God can give us the strength we need to face our challenges no matter how we feel. The strength God gives us is more than enough when we really just want to pull a blanket over our heads.

Someone close to me continues to battle pancreatic cancer. She wakes up every morning, makes her bed, and gets dressed. Some days, these ordinary actions require all the physical strength within her. Her joy remains intact. Her sense of purpose never waivers. She relies on God’s strength to transform her cancer journey. While evidence of physical decline continues and healing appears elusive, she continues to be “dressed in joy.”

Being brave means we leave room for transformation without dictating to God what it must look like. God brings “beauty from ashes,” according to the Psalmist. Let’s be brave enough to look for the beauty, even when life remains challenging.

Brian Abel

Pray

God, my feelings overwhelm me at times. Give me strength to believe transformation is possible. Free me from insisting on what beauty will look like. Amen.

Go

God’s strength allows us to be brave – to love fearlessly.

The journey may include challenges, discouragement, rejection, and betrayal.

Stay focused on the One who calls us forward and holds us up.