In August, I was at a Five Minute Friday retreat near Nashville. Seventeen ladies gathered together to learn about the craft of writing, facing our fears of comparison and eventually how to walk bravely to face those fears. As I was leading a devotional on Sunday morning about being brave, new perspectives were shared as to what this looks like for some of the other women who were present.
This is what brave looks like – ordinary women gathering to learn from God and each other.
The biggest “Aha” for me is that brave can look like staying right where you are and not taking that leap forward. God calls us in so many different ways and just because we are not saving the world doesn’t mean we are not walking bravely right where God has us for this time in our lives.
[Tweet “God is calling us to brave in our ordinary lives even if we are not saving the world. #bravefaith “]
My friend, Kate Motaung, wrote an article describing the retreat in a little more detail, but mostly she centered her words on the discussion that followed the devotional about being brave. She also shares being brave right where you are in the article. I found these words to be not only useful in learning what brave looks like, but also ones that will lead us toward brave faith in our own lives. Click here to read the article.
Throughout the next week, I will explore what it means to be brave right where you are – no big life saving moments, but instead immersing ourselves in mundane routines of life that still point to brave in every step because God is leading the way. I have some friends who will share the brave in their lives, who are working hard at what God is calling them to do right where they are in the everyday of their lives.
Join me as I continue this 31 days series on My Journey to Brave Faith.
Blessings along the way!
Mary
Click on the button to catch up on any missed posts!
Wonderful series, Mary! What a great opportunity to dig deeper into this important theme and meditate on what it means for each one of us. Thank you for sharing the link to the article, too! xx
Thank you Kate! Your encouragement always means so much to me. I hope you check in to read Holly’s, LeeAnn’s, Jen’s and Marcy’s words. I am blown away by how God is speaking through them and giving me the chance to share Him with others. Hugs friend!
that was a great weekend! seeing the photo brings back fond memories. the reminder of brave and the need to trust GOD to get out of the boat even when it may not mean moving very far away from it!
I am learning so much about brave in this series and the biggest “Aha” was hearing from all of you at the retreat or even after it was over what brave was looking like for you. We tend to look at a word and think of only one thing I have been doing that for years with the word brave. I am learning I am brave and that is good. Love having you here, Martha.
I see some familiar “brave” faces there, Mary! Thanks for linking to Kate’s article – great takeaways! Looking forward to what you have coming up in this series!
I’m not sure if you ever participated in Five Minute Friday, but we had an amazing retreat in August that left us with many take aways. Some of those beautiful people will be helping me out this coming week for my series. Blessings upon your weekend!
It gives us hope to realise we can be brave right where we are in the middle of mundane and the ache of ordinary. So often just showing up each day and saying yes to our lives requires courage others may know nothing about. Good point, Mary. I’m learning such a lot with this great series! Thank you. 🙂 x
It is eye opening to think that God could desire for us to be right where we are. It is possible to be brave and change the world in our own little corner. For some it feels like being stuck, but I am learning that this is not the case at all. It takes perspective to embrace your ordinary and be perfectly fine with it. Love having you here. You make my day!
Every day is another opportunity for me to be brave right where I am. Trying to embrace it!
Amen and I know you are doing a wonderful job at it. Life hands us circumstances that are not of our choosing and God is still working in, through and around us in those times. Hope you have an amazing weekend! Love you!
Doing it afraid is bravery. We can do that every day. Great writing as always. 🙂
I’m not sure that we ever lose our fear of something completely so I agree when you say bravery is doing it afraid. I imagine we would never do certain things if we thought fear was going to be present. Hope your weekend is blessed my friend!
It will be fun to hear from your friends: “I have some friends who will share the brave in their lives, who are working hard at what God is calling them to do right where they are in the everyday of their lives.” I need to member that my everyday might be my brave in this time and place.
It’s hard to think we are stuck where we are. God always has the best plan and you will find for these friends-(who you know) that a change in perspective is key. We can do as much good and be just as brave in our current situations. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.