Published: January 31, 2008 11:23 am         

Some people need courage to face day

It was the cowardly lion from "The Wizard of Oz" that sang the memorable lines, "Yeh, it's sad, believe me, Missy, when you're born to be a sissy."

What he wanted most in life was to be brave. He wanted courage. He wanted to stand up to the things that scared him most and overcome them.

It is a similar situation that many people are in today. Some are called upon to face transitions in their careers, deal with divorce, face the possibility of losing someone they love, or to face a terminal illness. What I find is that people facing such challenges in life do not need more information like the scarecrow desired or a more compassionate heart like the tin man most wanted. They need courage to face the day.

Winston Churchill once said, "I was not the lion, but it fell to me to give the lion's roar." It's a good reminder that there are times when we don't feel very brave that we still must be brave. It is often the case that in making the decision to act bravely in our trying circumstances, we inspire others to bravely face theirs.

Jesus is a good example of this. He valiantly faced death and all the fears that go with it and in doing so gave us hope that we can be courageous when we are confronted with fears of our own. John Wayne put it this way, "Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway."

May God give us valor to face what scares us the most. May he bring peace to those tossed by the raging storm. May he give new hope to those who have lost their own. May he shed his light on your dark path to reveal that it still leads to him. May God bless all who are facing the worst that life has to offer and may he give you the courage to saddle up.

David Sandvick is the pastor of First English Baptist Church in Frostburg.