C is for C-C-C-Courage!
When I hear the word courage, it is inevitably linked with the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz movie. He attempts to scare Dorothy, the Tinman, and the Scarecrow in the forest, but he is really scared of them. He wants courage so he can be the King of the Forest. So he joins them on their quest, and finds courage in himself. The Badge of Courage he gets at the end of the movie is really a celebration that he has found his courage while adventuring with Dorothy, finding the courage to help Dorothy and his friends. To see the Cowardly Lion as he struggles with his courage, check out this link: Cowardly Lion meeting the Wizard of Oz
However, another Lion I think of when I hear the word Courage, is the Lion of Judah. Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of OT prophecies, was the Lion of Judah. His unexpected submission to the cross still amazes the world today, but yet, it took courage for him to decide in the Garden of Gethsename, "Thy will be done." He gave himself for each one of us, a Lion turned into a willing Lamb of God.
Courage:
–noun
the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
—Idiom
2. have the courage of one's convictions, to act in accordance with one's beliefs, especially in spite of criticism.
For today's 10 Blessings, I'm picking 10 out of the many real life characters, and fictional characters who stand out to me at this moment for having courage:
1. The apostle Paul, found in the Bible.
2. The missionaries of today who live in many countries around the world. Today, I'm especially thinking of the Kraft Family in South America. Each person in their family from age 7 to age 40ish acts and lives in a missionary.
3. Stephen, in the book of Acts.
4. My dad, who has lived life fully even with a lifelong disability.
5. My mom, and she knows why.
And in fiction
6. Creel, in Dragon Slippers.
7. Bilbo, in The Hobbit.
8. Ender, in Ender's Game.
9. Lucy, in Prince Caspian.
10. Marcus, in the Farworld series.
Scripture Blessings:
"Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'" Matthew 26:42
