COURAGE

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

The last couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot about courage. Courage is something that does not always come easily. There has been plenty of times where I wished I had more courage to face daunting obstacles and even the day-to-day hurdles of life.

This past year there has been two people that have truly amazed me with their courage. I am a volunteer for the Children's Cancer Association (CCA) and last July I was paired with a 5-year-old little girl battling leukemia. Her courage and the courage of her family blew me away. They fought her leukemia with every last ounce of their being. Today I am happy to say that the courage she displayed has led her to remission. Secondly, I am a caretaker for a woman who had a stem cell transplant for her leukemia. She has almost made it through the crucial 100 days after the transplant. This has been a trying time for her as she has no immune system, constant fatigue, and endless precautions. She is a fighter and determined to make it through for her children. Watching her battle through with a fierce spirit has astonished me.

I believe courage allows people to do the unthinkable and gives strength when weakness overcomes. The two courageous heroes I encountered have mirrored for me the beauty of facing your challenges and moving forward. Their feats are unbelievable and put the joy of living into perspective for me.

I believe God has given each of us courageous spirits for living. For me personally, sometimes all I need for my courage to come out is a little encouragement. SO I encourage all of you to be courageous in whatever situation you are facing. Believe in yourself and that you can achieve what you never thought you could.

2 Timothy 1:7

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."