Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 NKJV
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for making me brave. You promised me years ago that nothing I do could ever mess up your plans for me. I’ve held on to that promise all these years. And if I were to fall, I would fall into your loving arms. You make me brave.
1. I can face tomorrow.
Remember when I feared getting older? Lord, you know my story. I spent my time as a young adult caring for my sick mother, who was just sixty-seven years old when she went to be with You.
I watched this strong woman of faith go from fiery, fun and silly, to tired and bed bound in just a few short years.
And some time after she passed, something fearful gripped my heart and wouldn’t let go. I began to worry about my health and future.
What health crises were awaiting me in my 40s, 50s, and 60s? Would my heart suddenly stop beating? Would I continue to get sicker and sicker, while the doctors scratch their heads as to what was wrong with me? Why was I so forgetful… Did I have a tumor?
Those questions were my anthem in 2019. They were my battle cry, as I made many midnight trips to the ER with full-on panic attacks. My heart would race, taking hours for my body to relax and calm down.
But God.
But you, God. Spending time with you makes me brave. Allowing the truth of your Word to do it’s work in my heart makes me brave.
I know that my future is secure because “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Whatever that may look like, God you know. And the miracle is: I believe it now.
2. I can face living alone.
I’ve lived alone since the age of 18. Now almost 37, I’ve spent a little over half my life well acquainted with the anxieties of being single. I’ve learned to make it work on only one income, with no one to come home to at night.
When my cat Midnight adopted me, she brought the joy, comfort, and stability that kept me grounded. At last, I had “someone” to come home to. Thank you Lord for being there to mourn with me at her passing, after raising and loving her for over nine years.
You are the Person I will always come home to.
Now in the months after she has gone, because you make me brave Lord, I know my future will be filled with love and new relationships.
3. I can finally let others in.
I had little time to love others over the years, because of my selfish hobby of choice. Video gaming. I use the term selfish because games would consume the entirety of my free time.
God, when you gently asked me to give up gaming, you had not yet revealed what would take its place. But once those games were removed from my heart, I found myself thinking of others. Praying for co workers, acquaintances, friends and family alike, desiring to spend more time with people.
People were finally allowed a place in my heart. I would have never known the joy set before me, had I not given you those things I loved that held me back.
4. I can face going back to college to get my degree.
Lord you know more than I, that never finishing college was the biggest regret of my life. But because you make me brave, I can take a leap of faith knowing and believing that I can do all things through Christ Jesus.
I look forward to the idea of studying abroad in Spain or England, knowing that I won’t be defeated by a panic attack on the plane ride because you are with me and I can do all things.
I can even brave the highways again.
You have reignited my love for the road. No longer will I cower in fear of getting on the highway and traveling, worried if I’ll ever be able to visit my friends and loved ones again. Lord, you make me brave.
5. I can face my past and am free to be me.
God thank you for healing my broken heart. Because you make me brave, I am free to be me. The ME that was buried under shyness and insecurity. That beautiful, talented, overconfident kid who got excited way too easily.
She took no concern about the opinions of others, but leaped into things because they excited her, not caring if she looked strange. I am so grateful to have found her once again. Because of you, God, you make me brave.
Father God, you are such a good father.
Your timing is perfection, and when you call me to do something terrifying, I can take that leap, knowing I am able to do all things through Christ. You’ve given me everything I need to be more than a conqueror, rejoicing as you witness me step into my true identity in Christ. I love you Lord and I thank you tremendously.
-Your Daughter
