What is the bravest thing you've done today?

What is the bravest thing you've done today?

Bravery and courage can take on many forms. What might be extremely brave for one person may be a regular, everyday thing for someone else. The fundamentals of bravery and courage, though, remains the same: going on in spite of danger or pain. Here it is important to recognise that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather doing what needs to be done, or going where one needs to go in spite of fear.

So... what is the bravest thing you've done today?

My four-year-old daughter got a bicycle for her birthday three weeks ago. She loves it. It has become her preferred mode of transport to nursery and back whenever the opportunity affords itself. It's amazing to see her, slightly out of her comfort zone, relishing the sense of possibility and freedom that riding a bicycle gives. I miss feeling that sense of freedom and adventure, but seeing her going for it is a blessing in itself.

However, it's not always a smooth ride, so to speak. Just yesterday, on our journey home from nursery, she fell off her bike. She slowed down on a slightly sloped part of the sidewalk, turned too sharply, and tumbled over, in spite of having training wheels. I was next to her when it happened and, reaching over to help her, the following words came out of her mouth: "I'm okay. I just got a small bump here [pointing to her knee]." That was impressive enough, I thought: not crying or moaning. But then she got back on her bike and started pedalling again, by herself. Moved by her apparent obliviousness (it's a word... I checked...) to what just happened, I thought it a good time to share a life lesson with her. I was about to say how we should always get back up and carry on when we fall off our bikes when she turned to me and said: "That was a brave thing I did." Yes, Madeleine. It was. And it taught me a great deal. She was clearly not oblivious to falling off her bike, but, after taking stock, decided to carry on anyway.

What an exceptional example! Whenever life throws us off our proverbial bicycles, for whatever reason, we don't just get back up and carry on. We take stock first. And, if there is serious danger, or a proverbial broken bicycle, or some other issue that needs to be resolved first, we take care of that before continuing. If, however, we find all is well and fear is the only reason to stop or step back, that is exactly when we need to be brave, to take courage, to get back on that proverbial bike and go forward. God says in His word: "Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them [enemies of the Israelites at the time] a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; He won't leave you." (Deuteronomy 31:6 - The Message)

I can tell you that the two bravest things I've done today was (1) to get out of bed and face the world, and (2) to send someone a very vulnerable message that I've been putting off for some time now. I don't know whether I'll be successful, or get the response I would like, by being brave. I can't guarantee that being brave (whatever that looks like) will never lead to disappointment or rejection. I don't think that's how bravery and courage works. But, whatever the outcome, I can always know that God, our Father, is right there in the thick of things. I can always take stock and fix what needs fixing. I can always get back on that bike and start pedalling again.

And, later on, some way down the road, I'll be able to turn to my Father walking beside me and tell Him how brave I was back there, because we can celebrate our victories without becoming arrogant. And, in my experience, He'll be proud of me, while ominously looking at those training wheels...

So... I ask again: What is the bravest thing you've done today?