Brave Soldiers
“Fear And Courage Are Brothers” ~~ Old Proverb
~~~I have been thinking about the word courage and what does it mean in everyday life. The dictionary defines courage as “strength in the face of pain or agony.” Wikipedia defines it as “the choice and willingness to comfort agony, pain, uncertainty, or intimidation.” The lightbulb went off inside my head. No wonder God has had that word on my mind. Most of us are performing courageous acts each and everyday. We are not trained to think that way because the word courage seems so overwhelming. But, facing our fears and choosing to act in spite of them is actually what makes us human and perhaps heroic.
~~~I have always loved the quote by Anne Radmacher. “Courage does not roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” This is so many of us with invisible diseases or illnesses. We fight bravely to get through each day. If it is an extra painful day emotionally or physically, we are making that conscious decision to fight again and again as long as the sun keeps rising and setting. We have no medals or awards to recognize how much fortitude this takes on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis. We have that inner spirit of a warrior that silently pushes us to fight on. We know we must persevere in the face of our adversities.
~~~The physical suffering there are aliments for. It hurts like crazy but there is physical therapy, water therapy, message therapy, raki, alpha stem, tens unit, chiropractic care, rubs, creams, oils, medications, and the list goes on. These are just some of the things I do for my pain. If that seems a bit much, it is nothing compared to the emotional bravery of having Lupus. For me, the emotional change was the most difficult. I call Lupus the tricky thief because everything I thought I knew about myself changed so fast that overnight I did not recognize myself anymore. From my core, from the inside out, my mind, my heart, I was confused and hurt.
~~~My long talks and walks with God were my salvation. My tears through the years were God cleansing my soul. They were growing pains. I was diving into His word looking for inspiration. I was only searching for positive quotes and songs. My heart could not take any ounce of negativity. I was rebuilding my emotional state with faith. Faith in Jesus. No matter what this world threw at me or the silent shade thrown my way, I knew what was best for me. When we are fearful and put our trust in God, aren’t we showing the most courageous act of all? In our vulnerable state we are crying out without apology to the one and only we know can save us and give us the supernatural strength to fight through another day. So, carry on soldiers. Carry on 😊 #FearAndCourage #BuildsBraveness #FaithInGod #BuildsStrongWarriors #LupusMariposa® 🦋
