So... yeah... brilliant. Like those words couldn't possibly cut like a knife.
It all started 6 months ago, sun seeking with my wild northern irish friend, picking at tapas and taking the time to ask one another... what are the things you would do if you really lived brave, if fear lived right where it should, firmly underneath your heel.
What would you do if you really lived free?
From the sublime to the ridiculous, it's a fun list to make, and perhaps, we thought, a harmless game to start playing.
But freedom isn't a trinket to be tossed around lightly. When your freedom comes at a cost money can't buy, there comes a few checkpoints on the road when you have to decide what you're going to do with it.
Because I believe mine was bought with nails and blood and a body broken and a victorious battle won in the dark.
yes yes... big words for a small attempt at a first ever blog post. But probably best to start as I mean to go on. Because I can't think of anything in the world that would get me to take the hairy scary adventurous dreams on my list and make them real.
Other than that. Other than a trembling trust that so strong is the blood that won me over, so deep is the love that chose to let it fall red to the ground, that all fear in me is weakened and falls dead in its presence.
So we're free to.... make new things. Have a go. completely fail and still come out winning.
And so last week as I kept thinking about what these first words would say... he spoke it out, our worship pastor leading this gathered family in our local church into a place of expectancy and faith...
When was the last time you did something that scared you?
And I thought about an 85 year old man I never even met, who spent his whole wild quietly free life on other people and how his funeral held 800 people because he knew what his freedom cost Jesus on the cross, and so he lived really brave and gave it all away.
And I think it takes a lifetime to work out but maybe I'm starting here. Learning how to be brave. How to give it all away, how to trust in grace and truth and a fear- defeating love. How to live full and fearlessly like you really are free, like there really is a lover of your soul, a maker of your heart who says
You are loved. No matter what the fear says. You are loved. There will always be enough, no matter what you give out, or what you give away, or what you give up.
With this love, there will always be enough so you can
Get brave, and get wild and get adventurous....
So I ask you...
When was the last time you did something that scared you?
Me?
*clicks Publish*
Done.
