As you read yesterday, brave needs community. Annie Downs writes in her book, Let’s All Be Brave, that we need a place where we belong. We are made stronger when we are surrounded with people who love and support us. Community fills in the gaps of our weaknesses with the glue of love and acceptance. We are brave because we don’t let our weaknesses consume us, but instead use them to our advantage by turning to  God for guidance and grace.
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Community fills in the places we are lacking and adds the bonus of building up and into us as we sometimes stumble and fall. Brave cannot persevere when we choose to do it alone so choose community today to walk bravely forward to your next step.
Where is your one place where you feel loved and accepted?
Be brave!
Mary
You are doing awesome on your 31 day series, Mary! I wanted to come by yesterday and congratulate you on finishing your first week, but somehow time got away from me :). You are showing your incredible bravery by stepping out and committing to this 31 day journey, and I’m so proud of you, my friend. The place I feel the most loved and accepted is with my husband and children. They know how to make me feel like I can do anything!
Thank you for being here to cheer me on. It has been quite a journey so far and I love how it’s stretching me to think beyond one post a week. I know how much your family means to you and together you are made better and braver! I am blessed by your friendship.
LOVE THIS! I am so thankful God has placed communities in my life…that truly love and accept me for who and whose I am.
I am inspired by the beautiful communities that form online such as our favorite, Five Minute Friday. We are blessed that so many want to take the time to build in to others and as a result we get so much in return.
In this season of my life I feel most loved and accepted in my relationship with God. I just don’t have a lot of “community” in my life right now. But I do love this online community that I’m part of, and next to God, feel most love and accepted here. You’re a big part of that, Mary, thank you!
Thank you for pointing us to God today, June! He should be the first on our list when we mention places and people where we belong and feel accepted. I am so blessed by this online community and beautiful friends like you keep me coming back to day “hi”, check in and encourage. Have a blessed evening.
my family and my church.
I am so glad you have a place where you belong. Thank you for being here!
This is so profound and important in each of our lives. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Karen! I hope you come back for more brave faith. I know that I have the rest of my life to learn all that God is teaching me now. Blessings!
I love this and am so thankful to have several places that I feel loved and accepted!
Your home church I imagine is one of the places. I get goosebumps at times when you describe your worship or message. You are blessed by that beautiful community. Love having you here friend!
Hi Mary! I think community is so important too. Not only to support, but to correct too. God created us for each other, we’re not meant to be alone!
I feel most accepted by my sisters. They never fail to support. I have one sister in particular who always ‘tells it like it is’ and keeps me from getting to sad, or too puffed up. They are such a gift.
Have a wonderful day!
Ceil
I do not have the luxury of sisters but I do have sisters in laws, one of whom is my best friend. I am rejoicing with you right now for the gift of your sisters and the support and love they give you. I love having you here Ceil! Your thoughts are wise and welcome!
I must say that community can be horrendously difficult to find. As an introvert, I prefer 4 quarters over 100 pennies. We are in between churches, and it is exhausting trying to determine where to go next, what is God’s leading, and finding kindred spirits. But I agree, in this land of virtual connections, real-life community seems to be evading us. Great post.
Real life connections are difficult to find today because we choose virtual which is not better. I understand what it’s like to be an introvert. It makes is harder to develop those relationships because it is a constant stepping out of our comfort zone. I am very thankful that you stopped by here today and I will be praying that you and your husband find a church soon.
I’m thankful that I have more than one place I feel accepted. 2 come to mind straightaway: At lunch in the cafĂ© with friends Colin and Derek, or at my parents’ house.
Thank you for sharing, Sarah. You are fortunate to have those two places where you belong. What a blessing. Thank you for being here today.
I have a friend, and she and I haver certainly gone rounds about some things, but I can say that in that friendship I am able to be 100% myself and don’t fear any judgement!
I am so glad you have a place where you belong with this friend. Authentic friendships are rare and I am thankful for the ones that I do have. Glad to have you here today.
Is it just too weird to say that I feel loved and accepted on my own blog, Mary? I love the community that’s forming there. I love I can be myself through the words and pictures I share. I cherish the support I’ve gotten when my dad and grandbaby passed away in recent months.
Maybe it’s because I’m in a no-mans-land right now, having left my familiar NY community behind and not yet a part of this new one in MA.
If ever I was grateful for online community, it’s now, in this huge transition season …
It does not sound weird at all. I understand how it feels to have that love from an online community. I count myself very lucky when my friends (like you) come by each week to say “hi” and leave encouragement. We are blessed by a season of huge transition and our online friends are one of the constants. Glad we are in this together.
Oh Mary! You are so right…we aren’t meant to do brave alone. We definitely need that community! Love your series. 🙂
So glad you are part of my community. Thank you for being here and for walking this journey with me.