There is a misconception that those who are brave and courageous are never fearful. I have read many accounts of individuals who accomplished amazing, heroic feats. Invariably, they all say that they were fearful yet they acted anyway. They were able to push through the fear rather than run away from it, sometimes at the risk of their own lives. This is the foundation of a coeurageous life, to move forward even in the face of fear.
In the first chapter of Joshua, the Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land. Moses is gone. The mantle of leadership has been passed to Joshua. He must have had a bit of trepidation for God tells him 3 times to be strong and courageous. “I will be with you.” The beloved 23rd Psalm speaks of David’s source of courage when he exclaims, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Neither Joshua, nor David were spared hard times. They had many battles to fight both physically and spiritually. Even though they had good reason to be fearful, they didn’t turn back. They pushed forward through the valley because they sensed God was beside them. They also had support from others who believed in them. Joshua had Caleb and David had his good friend, Jonathan. There can be a real temptation to either run away from our fears or park in our valleys. Neither option is productive.
Holding onto the promise of God’s presence and leaning into our support system can help avoid these pitfalls but it’s never easy. Fear and anxiety are cousins that feed into each other and prevent progress. I have so many patients that have had simply horrible things happen to them in their past. They don’t trust anyone and I don’t blame them. No one can really help them until this trust is rebuilt and they make the decision to move through their valley. If I recognize the trauma that brought them to this place, then I have a much better chance of them allowing me to walk with them toward healing. I am so thankful to have the support of very experienced behaviorist working with me and the other providers in our clinic. They recently trained all our staff in the concept of “Trauma Informed Care.” This counseling approach reframes our thinking to consider first the trauma that caused the present difficulty for the patient. Shared acknowledgement of past trauma, builds a bond between the patient and provider that enables healing to begin.
Over the years, I have been encouraged by patients that have coeurageously walked through their fears. One such person now counsels children who have been abused even though she has struggled for years due to the abuse she endured as a child. Another patient has worked with mentally challenged adults even though he has tremendous social anxiety from past trauma in his life. Both of these individuals must confront fear daily but they push through because they are motivated to help others who have gone through similar battles. I am so proud of them and honored to be able to cheer them on.
There really is no coeurage without fear. If life were easy, there would be no need to be brave. True coeurage is walking through the valley despite our fear knowing that we are not alone.
