The Introverted Side of Bravery

I always thought of bravery as extroverted. I pictured actions that are competitive and strong, brash and aggressive.  To me, bravery was out of reach.  I am not popular enough, fearless enough, or insane enough to be brave.  Bravery is him who looks up at the mountain face and climbs it anyways, without ropes.  Bravery is she who steps out on the slackline across the void and keeps walking anyways.  Bravery is outgoing, filled with defiance against opposition or forces of gravity.

 But I am learning bravery can be introverted.  It can be her in the shadows.  Her with her quiet determination.  Her with a stubborn passion that keeps her showing up in each moment despite all the internal warfare going on inside.  Him with one step in front of the next, admitting addiction, letting go, giving up, naming the pain, surrendering instead of fighting.  Maybe this kind of bravery doesn’t receive applause.  Maybe no one notices it. 

Bravery, looks like the person who forgives, even though the offence is beyond forgivable.  Bravery looks like loving that person who doesn't deserve love and certainly is doing nothing to earn it.  Bravery looks like facing the realities of your life instead of running away.  It looks like admitting your weaknesses and asking for help, instead of trying to go another step, alone.

I am learning to see bravery in my own face in the mirror admitting my self loathing, my past post-partum depression, and self-imposed unachievable expectations.  It looks like facing my anxiety with honesty instead of denial.  It looks like admitting my pain and being thankful for all the forms of relief I have been provided. Bravery is unearthing long-buried dreams and letting them live a little. It looks like not believing the lies I have let reign in my mind that I am worthless. It is writing more words when I’m not sure they will mean anything to anyone else but myself.

Introverted bravery is the way of the cross.  Weak shame the strong in this upside-down kingdom. Sometimes what the world tells us is weak, is actually brave.

Brave because surrendering to Someone stronger, is not weak.
Brave because giving God the chance to write my story, is not popular.
Brave because dying to myself and what the world thinks of me, is the hardest thing I might ever do.
Brave because becoming less, is a lonely and narrow road.

How are you needing to be brave today?  

Maybe it looks more like falling on your face in surrender, than trying harder.
Maybe it looks more like giving your life up to a God who loves you, and has better plans for you instead of trying to control every outcome.

You see, because we have a Savior who was brave.  The world didn't call it bravery.  We killed His kind of bravery.  Coming down to us, who are sinful, and dying for us? Wearing human skin to enter into our mess? Mending our brokenness with the breaking of His own body?  He forgives us, loves us, doesn't abandon us even when we abandoned Him. His way is the brave way:

The surrendered way, the difficult way, the simple way, the quiet way, the brave way.