Bravery

On one recent day, our oldest son confidently grabbed his car keys and walked out our back door with a smile on his face.  My baby.  My firstborn---on his way to his first job interview.

At the very same moment, I spied my second-born on the computer.  As I peered over his shoulder, I realized he was researching overseas missions opportunities for next summer. 

The tears threatened. 
How could this be?  Where did the time go? 
How did we get here so soon?
Ann Voskamp's words from an earlier post this summer rang in my ears:

"Motherhood is a daily bravery."

I know it.  Oh, do I know it. 
Moms in all seasons know it,
whether they're desperately crying out to God for wisdom in discipling their strong-willed toddler or
navigating the moodiness of adolescence.
They know it whether they're releasing their teen on his first solo drive
or leaving that same teen in a dorm room that seems just too far away.
They know it---over and over again---
as they release...and ache...and seek to trust.

Bravery is the universal need of moms all the world over.
Thankfully, it's not something we simply muster or conjur up.
We aren't reliant on picking ourselves up from our bootstraps and hoping for the best.
It's more than that; more reliable and trustworthy than that.
This bravery...this courage despite daily change and painful stretching---is a command of God.
And with any command He gives, He tells us---He shows us---how to do it.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:6

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

We're not alone.
We have a God who knows...who sees...who understands.
He knows what it is to let go.
He knows what it is to love so much it hurts.
And this same God is with us,
carrying...sustaining...loving.
Because He holds us...because He holds our children...
we don't have to be afraid.
When the road is dark and uncertain,
He is there, shining a light on our path.
When the road is bumpy and unsettling,
He is there, bringing peace in the chaos.
When the road spans long between us,
He is there, uniting and keeping us close.

And because of that truth...that hope...that knowledge,
we take courage, fellow moms.
Because of Him, we can be brave.