Courage

I thought about coming up with some very profound definition for courage to start, but I'm not having much success with something along those lines. Courage isn't a word I think of much, but that might be changing. I think my first thoughts of courage relate to soldiers... men who in the face of deep fear and certain death charge forward, sacrificing all for someone that is not them. That is courage, and the soldiers who have done that and do it even today, I am thankful for them. Honor is another word that comes to mind.

But I'm recognizing courage off the battlefield, and I'm equally thankful and it is an honor to know men and women like this. Bravehearts.


The example I'm thinking of today is a man named Fritz. He's 24, and a shoe shiner. Next week he defends his thesis for his undergrad degree in applied mathematics. Last week he was assaulted in a robbery attempt. The hit he took to the head has left him without his left eye.

Talk about one of those situations where you don't know what to say. But I found that my visits to the hospital left me not sad and depressed, but encouraged and inspired. Fritz is a couragous man. One reason I say this is because he's moving forward. He is dealing with a past he cannot change, and with humility and a soul strength he forgiving and moving ahead. There is no way I'm going to be able to summarize his courage in this blog., so I will stop trying.

Once again I find that the people I've come to help and serve are my teachers. They are my heroes and with great thankfulness I realize that this should not surprise me. That's the way God's kingdom works. It is a last will be first type of system. The foolish things are used to instruct the wise things. My prayer is that I might learned from Fritz to be a man of courage.