The Courageous Ones

I was thinking today about courage, and how it fits into countless values that Christians claim to hold. I didn't hear about it too much when I was growing up; at least not in church. Courage was the focus of the fearless heroes in Walt Disney movies as a youngster, or Sylvester Stallone and pro wrestlers as a teenager.

At least it seemed that way until I got older. Now I see that the courage I witnessed first hand was both more potent and more subtle. It's power stemmed from the fact that those who modeled it were not imaginary, and neither were the challenges they faced. It was subtle in that courage itself wasn't glorified, and the real life heroes weren't honored with medals or scantily clad, helpless bimbos.

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma, for a home of perpetual peace in the midst of all the storms of life.

Thank you Dad, for never giving up on a self righteous, angry young boy.

Thank you Mom, for raging against the status quo, no matter what it cost your heart.

Thank you, Don M., for staying the course when your heart broke that January 31st so many years ago.

Thank you, David G., for seeing past the Christians and embracing the Christ, and for showing me how to do the same thing.

Thank you, David D., for humbly teaching me to think for myself, and letting me get baptized off your beach. I still like the Christian life!

All these showed me that only the courageous ones will enter the kingdom of God.  Those with the courage to acknowledge exactly what they are, and are not, without God's intervention.

And He does intervene.