Courage: The Ability to do Something Brave

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My word of the year.
Courage.

It began stirring in me long before the clock struck midnight. Actually, if I'm truthful, I can vaguely remember Him starting to speak that word over 2019 in the summer of 2018. It wasn't that I was sick of my word for 2018 (build), but quite the opposite.

The Lord had shown Himself so faithful thus far that every time I thought about the future, that word continued to echo. 

​Courage.

To bring us all up to speed, 2018 was a doozie in every way. A new job, 818 Ministries' growing beyond belief, many travel adventures, pitching a book proposal at She Speaks, launching Do The Thing Movement, being interviewed by some cool people on a few podcasts, giving the keynotes at a retreat for the first time and a pretty special guy coming into my life are all memories I can look back on and smile about. 

It was a great year. It really was. However, it wasn't without it's fair share of hard days, insecurities and nights without a whole lot of sleep.

Weeks passed where I didn't take great care of myself and used food as a mechanism of coping with stress. There were plenty of days where I didn't feel good enough. Maybe the hardest of all, I've confronted my "disease to please" in many arenas of life.

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Galatians 1:10 (ESV) says:

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

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2018 was a lot. I'm thankful for it. God showed up. I'm even more excited about what 2019 has in store and throughout the fall as life has continued to unfold, I felt God continue nodding His head to this word courage.

​The ability to do something brave.

I want that - don't you?

I believe He has gone before us this year and is paving the way for something abundantly above all we could ask or imagine to be accomplished. I think if we already knew, we'd be terrified.

Isn't that the beauty of it? 
That we don't have it all together and He does.
That we can't do this on our own and that's why He is our help.
His thoughts are higher than ours.
His ways higher than our ways.

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Psalm 121:2 says,

"My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

Isaiah 55:8-9 says,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts."

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So this year, I want to have the ability to be brave. I don't really know what He's going to do with that desire but my prayer is that in it, He shows me more of Himself and more of the woman He's called me to be.

What's your word? If you haven't chosen one yet, I would encourage you to do so. It doesn't have to be fancy, just something that sticks. 

I can't wait to hear about yours and see what He does in your life as a result of turning it over to Him!

Cheering for you,
​Rebecca Dotson

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Jesus, I am so glad Your ways are higher than mine. Your thoughts are higher, grander and wiser than mine. You're my help.

I know I can't do brave things on my own. I pray You'd give me your strength this year as you empower me to have "the ability to do something brave".

In Your name,
Amen