When Courage Rises
"Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” – C.S. Lewis
Hello Dear Friend,
Have you ever put any thought into the fight or flight mentality? Instinct has us do one of two things. We either dig in our heels or we take off running.
Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s that feeling you get when you can sense the danger that lies in wait hidden in a dark corner until its opportune moment arrives. There’s this sensation that runs its course through your veins and causes the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up while the goose bumps that blanket your skin warn you that danger is near. It continues to lurk in the shadows waiting to reveal itself leaving you with two options…
OPTION 1: You run. Flat out, as fast and as far as your legs will carry you. Fear takes a hold of your imagination and goes wild while every terror film you’ve ever watched instantly plays and flashes images through your mind.
Your legs are growing tired and you can feel the burn in your lungs with every breath you take but the fear of the unknown danger has you now and its causing you to press on as you hope and pray that whatever it was creeping around in that shadow decided NOT to pursue you. In the few moments you decide to venture a look behind you, you end up colliding into a friend who pulls you into a stop.
They place their hands over your arms as you grip hold of theirs. Then they see it, the terror in your eyes and they ask you what’s wrong? You bend over, holding your side, panting heavily and try to catch your breath to answer. The beads of sweat trickle down your face from the top of your forehead as you say, “Can you see it? Is it following me?”
Or…
OPTION 2: Instead of running when faced with danger, courage rises from within as you taking up arms and prepares for the battle. It’s the same courage that places you among the company of Daniel when he found himself thrown into a den of lions. Or the courage of Ester as she defiled the law of the king and plead for her people to be free. Or maybe it’s the company of characters from J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis’ books so that much like Frodo Baggins or Lucy Pevensie you become a hero or heroine in your own epic tale of good versus evil.
There you stand with your back to the darkness when you feel it. Everything is silent in the moment you turn your head slightly to the side and you have a fleeting chill go through your spine and up into your neck. You see the hairs on your arms standing up in alert as goose bumps maze around them but you've already made your decision. You’ll fight. So you pivot on your heels just in time to catch the first blow. Before you know what has happened you’ve been knocked from your feet and find yourself disoriented for a brief moment.
After the moment passes you plant your palms into the dirt beneath you and you push yourself up and back to your feet. Feeling the burning sting from where you were hit as you lift your head and tilt it back shaking it ever so slightly to get the hair off of your face. You then let your head fall from one shoulder down to the other and the pop, pop, pop rings through your ears as your neck cracks. You mentally take a moment as you face your enemy and smile while setting yourself into position. Even though no words have been spoken your stance taunts your adversary telling them to try and do their worst as the two of you go head to head and just like that the battle has begun.
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Here is the point. Good versus evil is still good versus evil no matter what type of war you’re currently fighting or fleeing from. The dangers you face could be physical, mental, spiritual or even a combination of all three. No matter what the dangers are, you are a warrior so choose to stand your ground and fight. Choose to be heroic. Choose to encourage others with your story.
Why? Because I think C.S. Lewis was right when he said, “Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.”
Your scars are like badges of honor. They are proof of your courage. Look at them as souvenirs from battles fought and won. I know some were obtained through great pain. Let them serve as a reminder to you and everyone else that looks upon them that you are a survivor of all that has been thrust on you and above everything else good will always prevail.
With love,
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