Get your foot back in that stirrup-Courage is simply fear put in its place!

Sometimes when we think of courage, we imagine people who fearlessly, boldly, and confidently, run into danger, who throw caution to the wind and wholly trust that all is going to turn out just the way they imagined it would. We get inspired by them as they muster up excitement and boldness in us. So we put on the proverbial cape only to cower back when things start getting real! “Who am I, anyway,” we think to ourselves, “to think that I could accomplish big feats, blaze new trails, or defeat giants like them?”

Well, I would wager that anyone who has ever done anything that required courage, first had to start afraid, and if not afraid, maybe a bit apprehensive. The very definition of courage is “the ability to do something that frightens.” Have you heard the saying “get back on that horse?” I grew up on a big, beautiful ranch, where horses, cattle, and cowpunchers were all I really knew. Yet, my mama wasn’t a big fan of me hanging out with my dad and the cowboys, or of me riding horses. And to my chagrin, I was less than comfortable on the back of a horse.

My daddy, though, was an amazing vaquero. In the eyes of his little girl, he was the best there ever was. One day, I had the privilege of going out with him to gather cattle. I was on his four-year-old mare, Bala (Bullet in English!) and though I was shaking in my boots, I was one happy girl riding side-by-side with the man I saw as a legend! Everything was going fine until we started galloping and for some odd reason, Bala chose to stop. The problem was, I didn’t! I ended up in front of her on my rear end! Physically I wasn’t hurt, but my pride was. And what’s worse, my fear that I would be thrown, came to pass. As I sat in the dirt and dust, emotions of letting my dad down, failing to be a good rider, and fear of never being good enough, assaulted me. Not to mention, I felt ashamed for not “cowboying up”-I cried like a baby!

My dad, simply said, “you’re getting back on.” Period. There was no discussion. There were no questions as to whether I was going to face my fears that day. So I dusted myself off, wiped my nose, pulled myself together, put my foot in the stirrup, and rode on. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I will never forget the feeling of riding side by side with my daddy, my hero. We went through some crazy terrain that day, literally climbed mountains and cliffs. By the time we got home, Bala had worked hard and I was in heaven!

This is a simple example, about a 15-year-old girl facing her fears. Yet to me, at that time, it was a defining moment. I learned a valuable lesson that day: quitting isn’t an option for those that want to experience the fullness of the ride. As I got older my fears became more complex. Fear of failure. Fear of man. Fear of rejection. Yet somewhere in my spirit, I would hear my dad’s voice once again, “you’re getting back on.” And over and over again, I have learned to face my fears. I have cried, I have often felt foolish, more times than I care to admit, I felt like giving up. But again and again, with the Spirit of the Lord giving me all I need to walk in the plans He has for me, I have put my foot in the stirrup to live the adventure God has for me.

Maybe today, you can relate to that 15-year-old girl. Or maybe you can identify with David, Moses, Queen Esther, or Paul. Even the hero’s of our faith had to overcome battles that threatened to destroy them. But they considered the cost and found that it was better to live courageously with God than live a “safe”, mediocre, unfulfilling life without Him. Fear, without a doubt, will keep you from all God has for you. But you have a God that has overcome the world and everything that threatens to keep you bound. Romans 8:11 says, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you” and “for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4.) Rest assured, what He calls you to do, He equips you for. So today, I encourage you to face that fear, face it with the Spirit of God within you, and get your foot in that stirrup and live your great God-ordained adventure! Courage, my friend, is being afraid and doing it anyway!