"He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Remember when you walked into your first job interview, or class on your first day of college, or when you joined a new hobby group? Your heart felt like it would beat right out of your chest. Perhaps your palms began sweating, but as you reminisce, do you remember how you felt when you came through the other side? You felt more courageous, didn't you?
As humans, we crave comfort. We fight to have stability. We hold tight to what we know, never venturing into the unknown. “What if” has held us all back in one way or another. However, comfort and stability often breed stagnation.
This past year, we had a church group approach us, wanting to help. It is not uncommon for church groups to want to partner with us. However, what was unusual was this group was a men's Sunday School class. They wanted to provide a Thanksgiving meal for a single mom.
The men raised over $500 and provided one of our families with enough food for four days. They also had such an outpouring of support that they asked to assist another family for Christmas. When we told the Sunday School teacher that the family, we chose for Christmas had ten kids, they embraced the challenge and bought a gift for each child. In addition to this, a meal for eleven!
As we launch into this gift of a new year, we want to challenge you. Do something that scares you! Do something that is not typical. It doesn't have to be partnering with us. If God has laid something mighty to do, do it. Do it trembling! Do it petrified! However, you do it — do it.
2 Corinthians 12:10 says, God's power is made perfect in weakness. And in verse 11, it says, when we are weak, Christ is strong. When we do embrace challenges, face our fears, and choose to be brave despite what we feel, God can take center stage.
Day in and day out, many women we serve do the brave thing and choose life for their babies. They often don't know how they will be able to afford the medical bills for bringing their baby into this world. They know they're choosing to struggle, but life is worth the struggle.
So, whatever you may be facing or contemplating about doing, don't let fear hold you back any longer. D.L. Moody once said, "If God is your partner, make your plans BIG!"
Let's ask God to help us honor him with our feeble attempts to honor Him with our lives.