Reflection for November 17, 2014

"I hereby command you; Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."(Joshua 1:9)

There are certainly periods in my life when I could have used somebody telling me this, at least the what not to be.  I spent too much of my youth being frightened.  Courage lacking, strength not existent.  Awkwardness, in abundance.  Frightened by others who had strength or at least appeared to. I don't know about being dismayed as much.  Because it spite of being scared, much of my life went reasonably well growing up.  Disappointments? Sure who doesn't have those, but never to the extent of feeling like nothing will ever go right.

Sometime around high school I started to get strength, being a wrestler will do that.  Courage still lacking a bit, but more of it than I'd had before.  And I think I became strongest and most courageous in college and that hasn't left me.

But I'll have to confess, that I've lately felt dismayed.  Not frightened because what is causing this dismay is not based in fear, but in a current reality.  Could things change?  Of course?  And I sure hope so.  But I may need the strength and the courage to defeat that feeling.

The truth of it all though is the final part, that God as been and is still with me even when I'm in a valley period and feel like I'm chasing wind.  And it is that still small voice that calls me, be strong, be courageous, dont' be frightened, don't be dismayed.

Blessings,
Ed