Brave

If you’ve ever taken a personality profile test, you’ve probably stumbled across the part of the configuration process where you are provided a page of seemingly endless characteristics and qualities. Most of the time, you are instructed to either pick the words that most accurately describe you, or to select the words others would use to best describe you.

We pick the words we are familiar with—words we have heard before when people have talked about us, characteristics our friends and family mention they admire in us, or even those words we remember our astrological sign being strong in from when we read our horoscope as a kid in some teen magazine. These words probably don’t change much as time goes on—perhaps we add in a word or two down the line from recent accomplishments, or remove a word if we are limited in the number we are allowed to select. While we change as individuals, with variances in interests and goals and ideals, the very makings of who we are tend to stay somewhat steady. It is our character, after all, it defines us in the choices we make, our moral compass and how we choose to live our lives.

My standard go to descriptors would be the package of sentiments involving ‘honest’, ‘trustworthy’, ‘kind’, etc. Brave is definitely not a word I would ever circle, click, or otherwise select to describe the person I am. I’ve only recently accepted I’m an individual who craves adventure in their life—brave seems like a way too big of a jump in the progression of my character.

instagram: @loveinspireschange

While at a yoga inversions class the instructor was encouraging us, and our progress. Being an inversions newbie, I was just pleased I had the strength to even hold myself upside down, or do an arm balance, or really just be able to have my heels touch the ground in downward dog. When she got to me I had no thoughts or expectations of what she would say—if I think about it now I would expect something along the lines of how I’ve really committed to attending the class, which is fun and exciting! Instead, she surprised me with saying I was Brave. How I had no fear. How I was willing to try anything.

I smiled awkwardly at such remarks—I’m the honest, trustworthy, compassionate kind of girl. I’m not the brave, try anything kind of girl. Is this a real change? Is this part of how my character has been developing over the years? Would others describe me in this way? Or is it some elaborate facade I’ve unknowingly put up that others would see but wouldn’t be true in my heart?

I think we can get stuck in who we believe we are. We believe the characteristics of who we have been in the past to be the only unchanging truths we can centre ourselves on as life spins and changes and dives deeper in the unknowns. We don’t consciously sit there and think ‘This is who I have been forever, this is who I will continue to be’ per say, but if personality test after strength finder test after buzzfeed quiz can speak in what they see, I’m sure the answers we have been putting in since our youth would resonate with only slight modifications into the now.

The beginning of a new year brings the excitement of advancement and change. Challenge yourself to reflect on who you think you are and who you always have been, and look at where life has taken you and how it has shaped you to advance your character in unimaginable ways.

While steeping in the word Brave I am reminded of how bravery; being fearless, and enduring with courage, are things we can gain from a Christ-centred life. With God on your side there is no reason to be afraid. We can move forward confidently, with hopeful expectation of magnificent outcomes. The outcomes may be undefined, the first few steps may be shaky—but taking the steps is what makes you brave. Even if they are small, they are steps and the steps show courage.

I will willingly add Brave to my list of descriptors, and will look at words to remove which no longer serve the individual I am continually growing in Christ to be.  It’s fun to see how far we’ve come as humans constantly under development, it’s exciting to leave behind the old and embrace the new.

As we reflect and challenge our views of ourselves, I will leave you with this reminder for your 2016: As the live-action Cinderella movie tells us;

Have Courage & Be Kind.

Courage: Thailand

Hearing stories have this amazing way of transporting us from eager listeners to supporting characters in the words being brought to life before us. I am currently addicted to the show “Once Upon A Time”. A friend of mine and I are both into the show and can’t get enough of it. It’s to the point where when I sleep at night, I dream about the characters—their lives, stories, where the plot is headed, and I happen to be involved somehow. I’m never a major character, but someone who is around viewing the happenings eager to lend a hand, an ear, or sometimes, even a little magic.

Magic, as people say, is all around us. I guess it’s what we view magic to be which varies. The idea of magic can be described as the whimsical beauty in the creation around us. The grand ideas people have, the way they are put to action with nothing more than a leap of faith, the power coming from within to change your circumstance, or the circumstances of those around you, for the better —that is truly incredible and could easily be classified as magic. 

When our team of volunteers visit the drop-in centre, a common question is how kids are able to cross the border from Myanmar to Thailand—to cross over from being at risk for exploitation, exploited or living in the garbage dump to the safe haven of the drop-in centre or hopefully the children’s home. There’s a bridge which connects the two countries. This bridge is comparable to any other border crossing—security on each side. You must show your passport, pay any fees that may exist, fill out immigration forms, all the generic stuff. What makes this crossing different is the bridge itself is sort of a ‘no-man’s land’, if you will. The bridge is between the two places and leaves you in transit from one place to the next. The bridge belongs to no one—except the individuals who sit on the sidewalks and beg, the kids who are selling easy-buy items or the children who play beneath in the water.

Myanmar on one side, Thailand on the other.

The river below has kids swimming in and across it. As I’m sure it comes as no surprise, these kids are often referred to as ‘bridge kids’. As kids who either play beneath the bridge, or beg on the bridge, these kids are often stateless with no side really taking responsibility for where they should be.  Parents are often either not around or the ones encouraging the kids to do the begging or selling of cigarettes or other items to make a quick buck for their family.

So, how do these at risk children or those stuck in unimaginable situations, when seeking safety, get across the border to come to the drop-in centre or to the children’s home? There’s a wonderful lady who aids those children and brings them across the border from Burma to Thailand. As a former Catholic Nun, she has quite an interesting background and a whole lot of spunk. As you can imagine, she has to bring these children across with no passport and often not even one single piece of identification.  When asking how she does what can be viewed as the impossible, the response from the workers at the drop-in centre is simple; “Just courage, just be brave to do what you have to do. If you have evidence you won’t hurt the child there can be negotiation over bringing the child across. Just in the right place at the right time.”

“Just courage, just be brave to do what you have to do.”

In a recent episode of Once Upon A Time the Wicked Witch of the West is attempting to travel back in time. To do so, she needs certain items for her spell. These items include a brain, a heart, innocence (which is portrayed as a new-born baby) and courage.  Courage is one of the main requirements for magic to reach its full potential and transport the witch back in time to re-create her destiny.

In the story of the worker I can easily see how her courage is like magic; how her courage finds her in the right place at the right time to receive compassion and understanding so she can bring across children to safety in Thailand. Against all odds she prevails and is able to save children from the understandably described as evil situations they are in. Even more like magic, in passing from Myanmar to Thailand in what is an instant in comparison to the length of life's journey, the lives of these children will have a future brighter than anyone could have imagined.