on courage

I used to think that people who were courageous were fearless.  That they could do things that terrified me without batting an eye.  They stood up to scary things and bouldered right through them, unafraid.

I was wrong.

I don’t think that way anymore, now that I have found my own courage.  People who are courageous are very aware of their fears, but they stand up to them anyway.  That is what being BRAVE is all about.

For me, I’ve discovered that I am my most courageous self when I TRUST in God.  I’m not really a very religious person to be honest.  But my life’s journey has always been woven with a strong thread of faith in something bigger than me.  When I was young, I went to Catholic school.  In college, I studied Eastern religions and Native American cultures and they truly spoke to me and I found them beautiful.  I married a Jewish man whose faith and heritage I admire tremendously.  There have been times of great spiritual turmoil in my heart … but always, when it came down to it, I have never felt alone or deserted.  I continued to pray, and continued to see signs that God was looking out for me.  I read something somewhere that really spoke to me – something about how different religions are like different doors to the same house.  I love that.  I am of the opinion that God is all around.  Some people feel his presence most when they are in a church learning about Jesus.  Others find it in a temple in India or maybe a mosque in east Africa.  And others feel him most at the top of a mountain, when they are one with nature.  There are so many ways that God reveals himself to us.

Running is my sanctuary.  It is the place where my heart opens up the most and I am able to feel and see and hear God’s message the clearest.  Forgiveness, healing, hope and gratitude all happen for me on the best of my runs.  And when I am truly testing my limits – truly pushing myself and facing my biggest fears – I find that in order to keep on going I have to LET GO and TRUST in God.  I hear his voice in my head, telling me to be courageous. Telling me to trust in him.