Courage

November 22, 2019

I’m lying on the bed beside the littlest grandchild, almost-eight-year-old Gemma. She’s tucked in for the night after a few rousing games of Peter Rabbit (think Chutes and Ladders), and Old Maid. With the exception of sister Eliza and cousin Madeline, the other grandkids are scattered across two states tonight. Alexandria, the eldest, is in her final year at Grove City College and wondering what her future holds. The uncertainty at that stage in life can be somewhat unnerving, as graduation ushers in the repayment of student loans at a time when most aren’t sure what the next step in life should be. 

For Gemma, that is all in a future she can’t even imagine, which is probably a good thing. She sleeps unworried by the uncertainties that drive grown men to drink. I wasn’t much older than her when I began to realize the enormity of the responsibility my father carried on his shoulders, just to provide for his family. I couldn’t begin to comprehend how someday I would find myself in similar shoes. 

I’ve been fortunate. I’ve never been destitute to the point of wondering how I would feed my children. My mother used to tell stories of growing up in the Great Depression, of her parents going to bed hungry so their two girls would have enough to eat, of having to live with grandparents on the farm because her parents couldn’t provide for both girls, and the sense of abandonment engendered by literally being “farmed out.”

The world into which Gemma will grow is far different from that of my childhood. It is tempting to see the past in golden terms while the future conjures up a dystopian world fraught with danger. I wish I could protect her from the heartache, disappointments, and even tragedy that is sure to come, but none of us have that ability. The best we can do; that which we must do, is to teach our children and grandchildren what it means to have faith, to be faithful, and how to bounce back from the troubles they cannot avoid. 

Last week, I read the following: “As Joshua prepared to lead God’s people into an uncharted land and future, the Lord said to him: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). This command came to Joshua before he began facing Canaanite enemies. The Lord called him to choose courage before he needed courage. This is because courage does not earn the provision of God—it positions us to receive it. If we will not go into battle, we cannot experience the presence and power of God in the battle.”

Gemma has not yet had to face situations requiring a great deal of courage. Sure, there are things scary to her, but courage—real courage—is yet to come. I pray she will seek and find it so she can dwell in the presence of God.