We are a week into the 31 day writing challenge and I am praying right now that you are hanging with me as well as learning what brave looks like for you. Thank you for being on this journey with me.
A journey to brave faith cannot be done alone. Brave is not a step into the unknown alone, because even though it will work temporarily, there is a perseverance needed, which requires others to walk with us. Brave needs community.
Annie Downs, in Let’s All Be Brave, shares her story of moving to Nashville and knowing no one at all. She just knew she was supposed to be there. She eventually found a community of young adults that met on Sunday nights for dinner, each contributing whatever they had to put together for a meal. From the beginning of her “Stone Soup” community, she discovered they had become family. Not only was she being physically fed, but spiritually as well. It became “an incubator for little seeds of courage“.
I have found my brave journey to be similar in that when I began in earnest, it was with a small group of people from my church, who all met together to begin this journey. Learning what my brave step was became clearer after hearing from this group what brave looked like for them. We are never asked to take that first step toward brave alone.
[Tweet “No one is brave alone. Every superhero has someone they come home to. @anniefdowns #bravefaith”]
I love these words from Annie. They provided a much needed perspective for me about being brave. I pray you find them life giving also.
Who is your community and how do they make you brave?
I am so glad you are on this journey with me. By clicking on the button below, you can catch up on all the posts for 31 Days: My Journey to Brave Faith.
So glad you are here!
Mary
Linking with:
I love this! I am so blessed to have the 31 Days ladies, as well as a few other blogger and Young Living friends as my community!
Right now my community is my husband. He keeps me brave, sane, and put together!
First, of course I love that you’re referencing Annie. What a lovely part of the book too! Brave definitely needs community…and why do you think I love the #FMFParty community so stinkin’ much? It’s such a lovely community of brave, particularly because you’re in it!
We are blessed by an amazing FMF community. Annie Downs has so many nuggets of wisdom in her book and I have used several of her quotes in my series and am planning on using a few more. Glad you stopped by. This challenge is intense and I am trying to share the love and read others but there is only so much time in the day. Love you friend!
My community is the 31 Day Survivors/Together We’re Better Group and the #FMFParty peeps. I’ve gotten a lot braver as I’ve felt the love and support from these fine people over the last year!
I don’t think people get how important this is sometimes, Mary–especially the ones who are struggling. If they are really struggling, very often it’s because they’ve isolated themselves. They may have very looming reasons for isolating, but if they ever hope to be encouraged and “BRAVE” as you say, it will take diving into community. Love your continued thoughts on this, my friend! You are a powerhouse of encouragement and insight!
Thank you for affirming my words! I am one who finds it difficult to engage in community at times so I know this is very brave for me. I also have learned that once I jump in I am blessed and empowered by the people. Love having you with me on this journey. You are such a gift my friend!
You make me brave, Mary! Opening your heart to do this brave thing in community encourages and inspires!
Thank you for these kind words. I love how God is working in me through this series. I hope you can feel it too i your own life. I am blessed by your presence.
I am so very thankful for a community that makes me brave. My community includes my blogging community (thank you friends), my church family, and so many others. We indeed do not journey this life or be brave alone. I love that quote from Annie’s book too. Even Superman had his sidekicks.
I find it lovely that we are in community together across the internet. There is something just as special and inviting with the online community as there is in real life. We are indeed blessed by brave community.
Mary, as I’ve been less physically able to go out or attend church for several years now, I too have found a wonderful support group in on-line community, especially with lovely writing friends like you. Linda above is right, we cannot do life (never mind being brave) alone. We’re stronger together! Thank you for this timely reminder and for your on-line friendship. It is truly appreciated. Blessings 🙂 x
You are such a blessing to me, Joy! You are encourager who speaks beautifully through words. Thank you for the blessing of being in community with me.
I love this! Emily Freeman calls them our Tuesday People. We all need them and I am so thankful to have a few.
I think I have heard you reference Emily Freeman before and since I was honored to be part of her book launch team, anytime you refer to her makes me very happy. I am praying we all find our Tuesday people and learn to allow them into our lives to walk this journey with us.
Thank you so much for this post. Again, the Lord has spoken to me specifically in my 5 for 5 today. Will be following you the rest of the 31 days. Have a blessed day!
What a treat that you stopped by today, Robin! God is so good to give us what we need exactly when we need it. Praying the rest of your week is blessed too.
I love this! (And I loved Annie’s book –and that quote!) I am sitting here, enjoying my coffee blended Chobani yogurt this morning and boy how it feels like we are community right here… helping each other be brave! So thankful for friends – inrl and online – who do just that!
Big smile after reading you are enjoying your coffee yogurt because it is so good. I’m glad you are part of this community online that helps me to be brave. Thankful for you friend!
I just read this part yesterday in the book and circled all of this good “stuff.” I am so thankful for those that help me to be brave. Sometimes we have to be the superhero, sometimes the sidekick. Love you, Mary!
I know that I would choose to be the sidekick every time if God would let me. How about you? I am glad you are reading Let’s All Be Brave because every part of that book is so good. I am thankful you stopped by here today. Hugs!
Yes! I’m remembering how important these link ups are for THAT reason! The camaraderie of those journeying in this brave field together!
We are in this 31 day journey together and it really helps to be surrounded with so many others who share a common goal. So glad you stopped by today!
Hi Mary, Love Love what Linda said…the online community has also become a place to find strenght and encouragement. Offline friend, the Lord has being kind enough to give me a few of those people as community i come home to.
You are loved , Mary.
Keep up the good work!
Community is so important and I am blessed by this online community as you are. In real life I also have community that means the world to me. Life is better because I have people who are walking along with me and supporting me in the process. I can only be brave with God by my side and the support of my friends and family.
These days, community is those who gather ’round online with me. I’ve gotten so much support and encouragement from people I’ll probably never meet here on earth. It’s been my salvation. And that includes you, dear Mary.
We have also joined a Wednesday night group recently. A warm welcome surrounded us, and I am grateful to have real live people to gather with each week as we make our way through this very rocky and grief-laden transition to a new place.
We were never meant to do life alone. That I know for sure …
Hugs, girl!
I am grateful to know that you are being surrounded in comfort and love. You are so right to day we cannot do life alone. Choosing community can be difficult for me but the blessing far outweighs the anguish I put myself through to get there. Grace and peace along the way!
So true- sometimes it takes bravery to be willing to open up to others and seek community, but it’s so important that we do. It’s much easier to be brave with people there to cheer you on.
It is always a brave moment for me when I seek to join community and even braver when I open up to share. My introverted personality does not lend itself to choosing these situations often. God is using those moments to teach me and to use my brave faith to teach others. I also o find once I take that step I am blessed by the community that is willing to embrace me. Thank you for stopping by.