It has been nearly a month since my latest post regarding the behind-the-scenes visit of my short story series, Running Home. In today's post, my heart wants to continue on the journey of sharing all about this sweet blessing of a project by delving into one of my personal favorite stories, A Mother's Courage.
Each story holds such a powerful and essential message; a mother's love is courageous and provides the foundation for learning what the matter of faith truly is. A Mother's Courage is representative of so much within my own life journey and its formative elements speak of the untouchable and unique bond I've shared with my mother through every bit of storm and sunshine that we've experienced.
Single mothers (or fathers) are superheroes that deserve so much recognition. The amount of courage my mother had in raising me on her own is truly remarkable. I have always appreciated every bit of the qualities that she has instilled within my heart: a sense of determination met with kindness and an abundance of humility.
The years of my childhood found us both facing extraordinary challenges; she has always reminded me that somehow there is always a solution to every problem.
And she has always been right.
If ever you find yourself facing unknown territory that seems extraordinary, please know that Jesus Christ can provide your heart with the extraordinary strength and determination to overcome any sort of obstacle.
The Bible tells us to be strong and of a good courage during troubling times; to be blindsided by extraordinary circumstances often throws us for a loop, but choosing to trust in the Lord and to lean upon the unfailing truth of His Word allows the heart to experience the peace that passeth all understanding and a deep sense of thankful humility that can only be discovered through trusting in the blessed hope of Jesus.
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9 KJV)
It takes courage to realize that you don't have all of the answers; the combination of human nature and the instinctive reactions to traumatic situations create a desire for self-sufficiency. Life can really throw some curveballs and needing help can make you feel like you've failed in some way. You're thrown into survival mode and it's tough. It's really tough.
I've been there. Done that.
Of course, I love Jesus and my life would not have had the same outcome without having Him in my life.
But, I also would not have made it through all of these years without the love and the courageous presence of my mother. She has always been my greatest human safe space and fought many battles for me when I was much too small to speak for myself; her immensely courageous heart as a mother provides me the strength that I still need every single day.
The same sentiment is true when speaking (or in this case, writing) about Jesus. There is no possible way to make it through life without Him by your side. You will never know what true and infallible love is until you trust in Him for salvation and begin a personal relationship with Him. He will fight your battles when the mountain has you feeling much too small. He will be your voice when the pain is too deep and you cannot find the words to pray with. He'll be that comfortable safe space you need when there's no hiding place to be found. He'll give you courage when all you feel is fear.
He'll be the one to provide a solution for every problem you have. He has given me the best teammate in life than I ever could have wanted; I love my mom more than she will ever know. God picked the perfect mother for me.
Thank you to Jesus and to my mom for always teaching and helping me to choose joy through uncertainty. Thank you Jesus for your endless protection and provision along my journey. Thank you for always giving me hope in times of my greatest sorrow.
Thank you for the heart of courage you've built within me.
I want to end this post by sharing my mother's favorite verse that reminds me to keep my joy every single day. I used Joshua 1:9 for the story portion, but I wanted to add something else along with it that I hope will be an encouragement today.
"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;" (Romans 12:12 KJV)