Category: finding a way to live

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Finding the courage to leap

I had a decision to make, but no courage to do it. So I went for a walk to think things through. But as I did, a squirrel hopped beside me from tree to tree. Then it leapt out into space, its little arms flailing. It wanted to reach a tree on the other side.

I stopped to watch, holding my breath. Would it make it? Would the branch break? Would it fall to its death?

It managed to grab hold of the tip of a branch. The branch sagged, but the squirrel pulled itself up. It scurried off… This was a message for me. Courage wasn’t a feeling. It was a choice. It counted the cost, but still took the first step. So I hurried back home and made that phone call. God kept me safe…

(photo by Catherine Dempsey: ww.pexels.com)

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Despite our scars…

The other day someone asked a good question: “Do you feel scarred?”

At first, I wanted to say, “No, all is well now.” But no matter how much I dreamed of returning to those pre-trauma days, my heart-scars had altered me. They still affected the way I responded in certain situations.

So, I said: “Yes, I do have scars. But just like the physical scars many of us endure, we learn to work around them. We get on. And in the end, they no longer take centerstage in our lives. They are there, but they don’t hold us back from life.”

And this is a most beautiful part of our human heart – we can find a way to live.

Photo by qinghill on Unsplash