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May 8, 2006
the heart of a lion As 99.99% of you know, the Wizard of Oz is about 4 characters seeking out a wizard to help them with their great dilemmas. One just wanted to go home, but the other three needed help with a perceived character flaw. The Scarecrow needed a brain, the Tinman needed a heart, and the Lion needed courage. As the story progressed, without realizing it, the Scarecrow was the one who would come up with the plan in a time of crisis, the Tinman was the one who would show the most compassion when thing weren't going well, and the Lion was the one who stood up courageously when things were on the line. At the end, the wizard pointed out that each of them had what they sought all along. Over a year ago, during a moment of crisis, I found myself almost in tears praying over and over, "I don't want to be afraid anymore." I wanted God to take away my fear. I now know that that was the wrong prayer. Over the past few weeks, I have found myself in a series of "no-win" situations. Some have been the kinds of things where you have to come up with the "less wrong" solution. Others have been the kind of thing where no matter how hard you try or what you do, it's not enough. And, in all of these events, at one time or the other, I have found myself doubting whether or not I have brains, a heart, or courage. What I have learned in all of these events is that I don't need to seek a wizard for any of this. In fact, I need not even seek any of these items. It's not about brains, heart, or courage. It's about faith. I say the right words when I don't know what I'm talking about. It's not my brains. My heart breaks when I can't fix everything. It's not my heart. But in those two areas, I've known that for a while. Courage is something I've not had a grasp on. I thought courage is a lack of fear. It's not. I've learned that you can be totally terrified and still be courageous. Fear is an emotion. Courage is an action. The two can co-exist. In fact, there is no courage without fear. So, I've learned that I've had the brains all along. And, I've learned that I've had a heart all along. And now, I know I've had courage all along. It's because I have faith in the one who brings me home. posted
by Unknown @ 11:35:00 PM |
