March 16, 2022

What Is Courage?

Read: 2 Timothy 1:6-8

As I sat there and listened to the sermon on Sunday, January 21st, I thought that we must face these troubled times with all of the courage we can muster. A poem came to mind. One that I had submitted for the book some time ago. Maybe it’s time to jog our memories once again.

Courage
By Helen Frazee Bower

 You asked me, “What is courage?" And I took
 The dictionary down and spelled it out.
 For such a little boy, the heavy book
 Was ponderous. You twisted it about;

 You said, “It's being brave — and what is that?"
 You said, “It's not to fear — am I afraid?
 Does courage arch its back up like our cat,
 And spit at everything it meets?" you said.

 Perplexed, we closed the book and took a walk.
 And came where fire had worked untimely death;
 The woods were gone. But on a slender stalk
 A flower inched for life. I caught my breath.

 “Courage," I said, and took you by the hand,
 “IS ONE WHITE FLOWER IN A FIRE-SWEPT LAND.”

And so we must all try to be like that flower in these troubled times.

Glenn DeLodder