Courage

by Greg Lincoln

Courage is finding the strength to face our grief and our pain.

When someone we love passes away, it is like a part of us also passes away with them. The person that we once were is not there anymore. We are different now. We are not like what we used to be like.

We feel different, we think differently, and we do things not like how we used to.

As this different person that we now are, we have to relearn to do the things that we used to do. We have to learn how to work again, how to go to the post office, the store, to see people and be around people. We have to learn how to gather together enough courage to do these simple tasks that used to be so easy to do.

Courage is finding the strength to face our grief and our pain. We have to find that courage to be able to go back out into the community. Sometimes we have no choice, we have to go back to the daily grind.

The more you work at it, the easier it gets – not. It does not get any easier, but it does get less harder to bear.

There are those of you among us who have this courage. We sometimes see you and we say hi, chat about this and that, and we ask how everything is.

How are you doing?

Good. It is hard though.

I know. We just have to find the courage to make it.

Just being around you gives us the ability to build up our own courage, and for that we are grateful.

Courage has many facets. There is the courage where you still choose to act in the face of fear. When we are bereaved, we are reduced to fear. We fear everything, anything. This fear comes from not knowing, not having the answers. In a way, grief is like fear. Grief is fear.

With fear comes courage. They go together.

You can still grieve for your loved one and at the same time have the courage you need to make it through the day. We are given the incredible innate ability to try to overcome our hurts and sadness within our human nature. Our creator has bestowed it upon us to rise up again, and that is called hope.

So if there is fear, there will be courage. And with courage comes hope.

Life is so precious. If there is something you want to accomplish, do it while you are able. You can accomplish anything with the power of your will.

This month we have been celebrating our birthdays in our beloved family. They have been coming one after the other in quick succession. Quyana to everyone for the birthday wishes and for the gifts and the cake and singing. We wish you enough courage and let us continue to pray for those who are sad and need encouragement.