Be Brave

Be Brave

God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

I pulled into the preschool parking lot, drove to my usual spot, and paused before getting out of the car. It wasn’t quite noon yet, and I was waiting for one of the other moms to open her car door so we could walk in together.

We weren’t friends—yet—but we’d chatted more than once, and I had decided to be brave and ask her to have coffee. A couple of weeks earlier I had determined to try to catch her, but it never seemed to be the right time—which is what led to me sitting in my car, watching her car like a weirdo. When she finally opened her door, I quickly hopped out of my SUV and sped up a little until we were side by side.

“Hey, what were you up to this morning while the kids were in preschool?” I asked, feeling awkward. She paused for a beat before saying that she’d spent the morning volunteering in her older son’s classroom.

“We should go for coffee some morning. I mean, if you’re not busy,” I added hastily. We agreed and exchanged numbers, and by the following week were sipping hot drinks together and having a friendly conversation. We agreed to meet again in the next few weeks.

The conversation I’ve described may seem like a normal occurrence. But for me, approaching someone I don’t know is outside my comfort zone. When I was plagued by nightmares as a child, my dad had me memorize 2 Timothy 1:7 to remind me that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. And although I’m no longer concerned about things that go bump in the night, that doesn’t mean I’m immune to worries. Pain, humiliation, rejection, hurt feelings, ruined relationships, loneliness, and isolation are all fears I’ve faced. Yet God has called us to live a life of power, love, and self-discipline. Put another way, Paul encourages Timothy: “God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible” (MSG). God has wired us for friendship and community, and he wants us to be bold and loving and sensible in the pursuit of those connections—even when it requires a little bravery.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Be brave! Approach someone you’ve been meaning to connect with and invite them to spend time with you.