Do you have a worst-case scenario that claims unwelcome space in your thoughts and emotions…for more than a day?  I think we all do because it’s hard living in a world where we really have very little control of what goes on around us.

I’m off the grid this weekend leading worship for a gathering, so I’ve invited Liz Giertz for #FreshMarketFriday Link-Up to share a bit of her Made For Brave story and offer encouragement for how to get a handle on the fears that drive us to focus and worry about what COULD go wrong to upset our lives so we can begin to experience freedom and peace of mind.

 

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It was like a scene from a cartoon when a car comes skidding to a halt or music suddenly stops with the screeching of grooved vinyl. My head spun around and my son had every bit of my attention.

“What did you just say?”

“That we were climbing through the tunnel where the creek flows under the road.”

“Um. No. Son, please promise me you will never do that again.”

“Why, mooooom? It’s so cool down there!”

Here is where I launched into a litany of what could possibly go wrong while he stared wide-eyed at me. And not wide-eyed as if in fear of the flooding and trapping I described. But rather wide-eyed as in, “She’s gone crazy!”

Turning a Blind Eye Isn’t Brave

I may have been a little extreme in my depiction of the potential worst case scenarios, but I don’t think we do ourselves any favors by making light of the multitude of mishaps this life can muster. Jesus promised us we’d have trouble in this life. He didn’t sugar coat anything. Yet those of us who claim to be His followers so often minimize our messes. Well, friends instead of turning a blind eye to this messy life here on earth, we ought to be making ourselves brave for the worst case scenario.

Pretending life is perfect will neither prepare nor protect us when problems present. Furthermore, perpetuating this lie is potentially problematic for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing a crisis. Being a Christian doesn’t make you immune to trouble, but our faith can make us brave in the face of fears.

My Worst-Case Scenario

I learned to brave my worst case scenario during my husband’s second deployment with the Army. Like a scene from a movie on continuous repeat in my mind, a black sedan pulled up in front of our townhouse and two dress uniform-clad soldiers stepped out to knock on our door.

Losing my husband while pregnant with our son was just about the worst thing I could imagine back then. And I imagined it all the time. I wasn’t brave. I was scared. Anxious and worried. Extremely so. It was unhealthy. I avoided going home, terrified to answer the door. While it never came to pass (thank you, Jesus) I let fear make a mess of me.

But here is the truth that transformed me from terrified to brave.

~My husband’s death wouldn’t mean God’s love for me failed.

~God would be with me, even if my husband couldn’t.

~Death wasn’t the end for my husband or for me.

~God’s eternal promises are not compromised by earthly circumstances.

~God never promised to make everything alright this side of heaven.

~God cares about me and will help me carry my every burden.

Learning to trust God despite my fears was a defining moment in my faith.

The Urgency of Eternity Builds Bravery

Contemplating our worst-case scenarios brings an urgency to our witness regarding eternity. I can brave so much more knowing death in this life is not the end for me or my loved ones because we trust Jesus. Coming face to face with the reality of my own death when I discovered a lump in my breast forced me to take a hard look at my faith, not just for earthly gain, but for eternal confidence.

My father’s failing health inspired me to talk to him about his faith, which enabled me to face the phone call I hoped would never come with bravery instead of fear. And, as a mother, I feel like I discover a new fear every day, but I can be confident knowing they have heard the Word.

I don’t know what your worst case scenario is. But you’re not doing yourself any favors by burying it.  Let it out into the light so God can shine His truth on it.

While none of us can know exactly how we will react when tragedy strikes, we can still prepare to stand brave in the face of bad news. Share on X

How to Brave Your Worst Case Scenario

Make a list of all your worst fears. (No, writing them won’t make them come true. That’s a lie the enemy tells us.) Then, write out a passage of Scripture that brings you peace in this problem. The free printable will help you come up with some (available at My Messy Desk).

Consider what you would tell someone else going through a similar situation. What do you want your future self to know? With a clear head, write out a prayer asking God to comfort, reassure, and remind you of His truth if this situation should become a reality. Tuck this paper away in a safe place (one you’ll remember). Refer to it when fear creeps in or if your worst-case scenario comes to pass.

Preparing our hearts with truth before trouble comes, helps us brave our worst-case scenarios.

Trusting God with our worst-case scenarios transforms our fear-filled “what if’s” into faith-filled “even-if’s”.

 

 

 

Liz Giertz is an Army Veteran turned Army wife and mom to two boisterous boys who call Hurricane, WV home for now. She is passionate about encouraging women to overcome MESSES and embrace their MEMORIES as they become the MASTERPIECES God created them to be. You can connect with her on her blog, My Messy Desk, as well as on Facebook or Twitter.

 

 

 

Catch Up On Previous Made for Brave Stories…Here

Sisters, we are called to walk the way of hope instead of the way of defeat.  We must claim more than our title of “Daughter of the King.” We must step up and also claim our position.

And we must claim these together. As a sisterhood; a sisterhood of brave women who stand strong in the promises of who God is and who we are.

• We all are Made for Brave.
• We are made to live for something authentic and brave.
• In living brave, we silence the past, transform the future, and take a front row seat to God’s wild and uncontainable love!

So, I’m inviting you to join this Made for Brave Sisterhood, each Monday as we share our stories and allow God to bring hope and healing. Let’s commit to being authentic and brave, one step at a time, side by side, holding each other up and nudging each other toward our true selves. And let’s claim the victory waiting on the other side of brave; for ourselves and our sisterhood.

Let’s celebrate our tears and our struggles as we peel away the layers of fear to reveal the beauty of brave.

Let’s risk everything that brave requires for everything that brave has to offer…

Becoming who we were created to be!

In living brave, we silence the past, transform the future, and take a front row seat to God’s wild and uncontainable love! #MadeforBrave #Hope Share on X

Do you have a Made for Brave story to share? Get the writing guidelines and submit your stories HERE!

Download Your Made for Brave Manifesto in the Soul-Hope Cafe!