Brave Enough to Go

When I first sat down with Katherine at a Fro-Yo shop, her radiant smile grabbed my attention. Then she spoke, and my soul was still. 

I 'knew about' Katherine, because her mother and I teach at the same school. I knew she was in college. I knew she had been on a mission trip. I knew that she was only 20 years old. I knew that her mother, though missing her like crazy, was extremely proud of her daughter that decided to listen to God, and follow her heart. But to actually be in her presence was a totally different experience. 

We only had an hour to meet, but it felt like we were talking for days. She shared her heart about mission trips and her decision to pause on the traditional road of going to college and listen to her heart's whispers instead. I told her about my 'Literacy Dream' and the fears that accompanied dreaming big. We spoke about adoption and the future and what it feels like to take the first step towards doing something that scares us. 

When it was time for us to go, I knew that I had just been blessed. When today's date approached, marking the last day of the 31 Day Writing Challenge, I knew I wanted to feature someone who represented bravery. I knew it was going to be Katherine.

I pray her answers to my questions bless you in even the slightest way. I pray you step boldly, not only into your dreams but into your everyday routines. Put Jesus first, for He's our source of strength. Keep your head high, and remember that when the storms come, it's our decision to dance in the rain and keep going that make us brave. 

   

What does bravery mean to you?

 

Bravery is growth, it is challenge, and it is transformation. But most importantly, bravery is trust. This summer, in Uganda, one of my devotions said: “Leap before you look.”  This has stuck with me every day since. Could every day be a day that we look to the Lord, and fully surrender everything to Him. That we would say, my time is in YOUR hands, and may all my strength, safety, and security be found in You, and You alone. To me, that is what bravery looks like. It is complete and utter trust in Jesus. 

 

Who's brave that inspires you?

So many people. Most of all though, my friend Lauren. She is the most trusting person that I know, and since I have met her I have learned so incredibly much about what it looks like to trust in the Lord. She spent her summer in Kenya, spreading the word of Christ to the people of Turkana. 

 

When were you bravest?

Here is the thing, people always tell me how courageous and brave I am, but I do not consider myself to be either, honestly. I am on fire for Jesus, and I have a passion and a desire to follow the callings that He has placed on my heart. As I have and am learning to trust in the Lord, I am watching Him do incredible things. I think the time that I was most trusting however, was when I was in Uganda this past summer. I got incredibly sick with an intestinal infection, and it had been over two weeks, and two hospital visits of desperately trying to fight this. My doctors in the US told me on a Friday that I had until the following Monday to get better or I had to come home. I prayed and I prayed and I prayed, fully believing and trusting in the Lord that Uganda where I was supposed to be, and praying for a miracle. Monday morning I woke up feeling drastically better.  

 

How do you face your fears?

By taking the first step. By entering in. We never know where this life is headed, but is that not the mostbeautiful part? For me, facing my fears is asking for the courage to always choose Jesus. It is actually begging for difficult, and asking for the challenges, knowing that as we enter into these challenges, He shapes us and He molds us. 

 

What were you most afraid of when you went to Africa for the first time?

This is a hard question to answer, and I do not want to say I was not afraid of anything, but to be honest, I was not. In Africa, there is this unexplainable peace for me. A peace that surrounds every part of who I am, and lets me know that I am right where I am supposed to be. In Africa especially, I feel so close to Christ. On the outside Africa may look scary to some, but not to me. There are dangers there, just like there are dangers here. But the thing about not feeling safe is a lack of trust. So let go of your fears, let go of your insecurities, let go of the voices in your head that say "you can't" and listen to Christ who says with Me all things are possible.

 

What advice would you give to someone that was afraid to pursue their dream?

 

Pray bold prayers. Pray about dreams that before you were scared of. It is so important to dream, especially dreams that terrify you. You see, dreams that were once limited by us, have no limit with Christ. So, dothe credible and let God do the incredible. Do the believable and watch God do the unbelievable. We all have dreams, but most of them fall within what we feel like we are qualified to do, or what our financialboundaries allow us to do, but trust in Christ. Dare to dream big, and do not fear. Let go of all of it. With Christ all things are possible.

(You can find Katherine and more of her story at bethechange.blogspot.com)