Be Brave Sis

I used to think that bravery equaled the absence of fear. That only the strongest among us, those that feared nothing, were the special few who could be labeled as brave.

I envied those people honestly. I was afraid of almost everything, and taking risks was not something I did. EVER.

And because of that, I spent my time taking the safe route. Making choices where the outcome was virtually foolproof. Avoiding anyone and anything that might be the least bit scary to my perfectly packaged life.

But like he often does, God had other plans for me. And I could only live on the safe path for so long before he asked me to take a chance and be brave.

Like when he brought me a boy that loved taking risks (I mean LOVED it. Lived for it. Would eat risk for breakfast if he could). When that same boy flipped my life (see above: perfectly packaged) on its head. When he pushed me straight out of my comfort zone in every single way I could imagine, and then somehow convinced me to marry him (still trying to figure out how you made that one happen Jake).

And finally, when that boy asked me to quit my very stable corporate job, sell our house, leave the comforts and amenities of the city, and move back to the ranch.

To say I was terrified would be a vast understatement. And for a long time I said a big HELL NO to that idea. But slowly, my perspective shifted and God asked me to be brave. To try something new and different. And based on what you can see of my life, I bet you know which path I eventually walked.

After all, doing something scared is far better than not doing it at all.

And bravery I learned, isn’t about being fearless. It’s about feeling the fear and doing it anyways. It’s about living life and taking chances in the face of despair.

Because it’s a far greater risk to live your life and not try for anything.

I can tell you from experience that the best parts of life happen when you decide to do things that scare you. So take the chance. Feel the fear. Try something new. You might just be surprised where you end up - like on the ranch, for example.

Let this be your sign: it’s time to be brave sis.