Finding the Courage to Face Hardships

Have you ever found yourself saying it takes a lot of courage to:

• Climb a mountain,
• Fight a good fight,
• Run a marathon.,
• Apply for a job,
• Skydive,
• Start your own business,
• Or anything that would be considered high-risk?

While that is all very true, it also takes just as much courage to face insurmountable troubles and hardships.

I often quote the phrase, "Be strong and courageous” from Psalms 27:14 to people who find themselves in terrible situations because when bad choices are made, and your world is crumbling, it’s so important to be strong and courageous.

Every time I say the line, I feel the strength of it.

I have many courageous stories of my own.

• The time when I was able to let go of an abusive relationship.
• The time I went to my husband to confess my deepest darkest secret.
• The time I went back to a dear friend to ask for forgiveness. (Actually, I've done that several times.)

Sometimes it takes courage to wait for a better outcome or the right time to do the right thing.

Think about the many times you've said to yourself, “I don't know if I can get through this.” Remember, it's courage that keeps you from giving up.

Depending on what kind of season you’re in, courage may mean putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.

When I think of courage, I think of a very dear friend who, against all the odds, kept walking as she put her husband of 52 years into a Memory Care facility.

This couple was the example of serving others. They successfully pastored churches since the day they were married. He was the man who was always caring for others. He received his Doctorate at the age of 65 and never faced anything that he could not conquer. He started Charter Schools because he wanted to give underprivileged kids an opportunity for a good education. His vision for the school was a great success!

He was an avid reader and often read five books in one week. He raised a beautiful family and never wavered in his faith for God and family.

Eventually, his wife began to notice his memory slipping, or that she would need to cover for him at times when he seemed to be saying or doing things that were not in his character.

Her calls to me were anxious, and worry seemed to haunt her. Is her husband at the beginning stages of Alzheimer's?

At times she was concerned that maybe she was the one who may be going crazy. I assured her time and again that she was not losing her mind.

I began to notice the behaviors she had talked about in the times that I spent time with them.

She found the courage to have him tested, hoping it was all her imagination, but our hearts broke when she gave us the diagnosis.

He was in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

Though the report was accurate, we believed somehow he would never really succumb to full-blown Alzheimer's. This man was brilliant, strong, and could always push through anything!

However, she had no idea how quickly she would be facing the devastation of the diagnosis.

I watched her manage this debilitating disease with courage and love. Having to move three times in the last four years is only one step in the journey of caring for her husband.

Each move was another blow and a step towards the end of her ability to care for him on her own.

Her children were supportive during the process, always hoping it would never be more than they could manage together as a family.

But the day came when there was nothing left to do but to move him into the memory care facility.

In just two years, the disease had taken its toll.

She has been one of the greatest examples of loving with courage and never wavering in her faith. I am blown away by her strength and beauty.

They are a real example of honoring wedding vows exchanged over 50 years ago. The commitment they made – in sickness and in health – has been tried and tested.

The love and care they had for each other during this time never wavered.

He recently passed away, but her love for him never weakened.

The story of this couple brings me to tears and continues to rock my world.

Being strong and courageous was an everyday occurrence for her, and she did with grace and a smile. Now, she must be strong and courageous in new ways.

In what areas of your life do you need courage?

Tell yourself to be strong and courageous in circumstances that seem impossible. Wait on God, and He will give you the courage you need!

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