Brave

I like songs, quotes, etc. that remind me to let myself be challenged, to take RISKS, to move with a long stride, to leap off cliffs & do "extreme sports" (extreme sports in a metaphorical sense, in my walk with God, in trying something new, in relating deeply & intimately). Parts of this song reflect minutes in a given hour, big & small decisions, or phases in my life.

"Brave" -- by Nichole Nordeman & Jay Joyce

the gate is wide
the road is paved in moderation
the crowd is kind and quick to pull you in.
welcome to the middle ground
you're safe and sound and
until now, it's where i've been

cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything.
but it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings.

so long, status quo
i think i just let go,
you make me wanna be brave.
the way it always was,
is no longer good enough
you make me wanna be brave.
brave. brave.

...but i am willing to risk it all,
i say Your name, just Your name,
and i'm ready to jump
even ready to fall.

why did i take this vow of compromise?
why did i try to keep it all inside?

i've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame
and every storm with just a drop of rain
but if You believe in me,
that changes everything.
so long, i'm gone.

I was 'brave' on a Friday night recently when speaking -- well, being interviewed -- without knowing the questions ahead of time-- for the youth group at my church. They ask about 15 standard questions to an invited guest each 6 weeks. And they're really kind about it. Then it's 'open-season' questions.

But since they don't know "my story" ... well. I thought inside about a decision I had to make: we could just stick with comfortable answers to their questions about my favorite verse, or my job, comparisons with the USA, my most embarrassing moment, etc. And what would happen if I left here and their eternity wasn't really 'rocked'? But what could the Lord do if I totally got bare and crazy REAL-- and told them, "hey, you didn't ask me yet about my worst moment," ...or "don't you wanna know what happened to motivate me to move to germany --even though i wasn't married yet..." so, guess what i did? (I think we ended up going 'overtime'!) I mean, what do ya got to lose?