Next up in our Wholeness series is the posture of an awakened heart (courage). Before we begin, let’s look up what these three words mean: awakened, heart and courage.
Awakened
verb
rouse from sleep; cause to stop sleeping.
Heart
noun
What is the heart? The heart is a fist-sized organ that pumps blood throughout your body. It's the primary organ of your circulatory system. Your heart contains four main sections (chambers) made of muscle and powered by electrical impulses. Your brain and nervous system direct your heart's function. (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21704-heart)
Courage
noun
the ability to do something that frightens one. “she called on all her courage to face the ordeal.” Strength in the face of pain or grief.
My summary is this: A heart empowered by the Holy Spirit and electrical impulses running through our veins awakens the heart to keep on living, hoping and believing despite the trials he/she has faced, for they have an inner strength to face the pain/grief with a new found grace. They also walk praise on their voice that sustains them day after day.
Let’s do a deeper dive by going to the scriptures for more on courage and strength.
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
-Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
Be strong
Strong's Definitions: חָזַק châzaq, khaw-zak'; a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:—aid, amend, × calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered, repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong(-er), be sure, take (hold), be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand
And of good courage
Strong's Definitions: אָמַץ ʼâmats, aw-mats'; a primitive root; to be alert, physically (on foot) or mentally (in courage):—confirm, be courageous (of good courage, stedfastly minded, strong, stronger), establish, fortify, harden, increase, prevail, strengthen (self), make strong (obstinate, speed)
I went to the Blue Bible app to get more context on the meaning behind these two pieces of scripture about strength and courage. I recommend you doing the same and hope you enjoy seeing “the more” these words really express. It’s such a beautiful verse of promises, and I hope you feel something well up within you as you read it.
HE GOES WITH YOU!! HE GOES WITH US!!
This is the real piece of truth to be remembered here. So many things happen in our day to day lives that require us to stop and ask the Father into those moments of chaos, struggle, distraction, and an overwhelmed state of mind. That big (courageous) ask is the access door to the land of the more. Our human limits are overridden when we invite His presence into those moments that are beyond our capacity to complete. This is when transformation is accessed. We get the opportunity to experience His loving kindness in real time when He shows up on our behalf—not because He has to, but because He delights to care for His sons and daughters.
I want to end with a story. June 12th impacted my world hugely. To make it more relatable, it was like the impact September 11th has on most people. You know where you were the day it happened, how you felt. It was an ending and a beginning. After finding my husband, Ben, unconscious in the shower, heading to the hospital, and then telling our children daddy wasn’t coming home, I felt dirty. I just needed to wash the day off. So, since I found him in our shower, I chose to shower somewhere else. To my in-laws I went, and as I was washing, a song dropped into my heart:
Verse 1
Slow down, take time
Breath in He said
He'd reveal what's to come
The thoughts in His mind
Always higher than mine
He'll reveal all to come
Chorus
Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing
Verse 2
Sing praise my soul
Find strength in joy
Let His Words lead you on
Do not forget
His great faithfulness
He'll finish all He's begun
Chorus
Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing
Bridge
And You who hold the stars
Who call them each by name
Will surely keep Your promise to me
That I will rise in Your victory
Chorus
Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Take Courage by Bethel Music
(Source: Musixmatch; Songwriters: Joel Taylor / Jeremy Riddle / Kristene Elizabeth Dimarco)
This song was my direction for that day. This was how the Holy Spirit was able to get my attention. I did not feel this was just for me, but a song for our congregation. And so, as I got myself together, I headed to the church where people were praying, for it was the only place we knew to go. We praised our way through the confusion and the reality of Ben being gone potentially forever.
This song came to comfort me and give me electrical impulses that felt like directives to not freeze up, but to fight. The devil may not fight fair, but WE AS PEOPLE OF FAITH know how to fight back WITH PRAYER. Since that day, I have had a desire to thank the songwriters and worshippers for giving me my breath back. In the past month, I got to fulfill that desire.
Meet Kristene Dimarco from Bethel Church in Redding, CA. She has been my mentor for the past six months virtually, and last month we got to meet face to face. I hope you can see the joy on our faces from these holy embraces. Songs are prayers put to a melody, and her prayer came to comfort me. I will never forget the power of that lyric that gave me a foothold to stand on for many days to come.
I am learning that I also have lyrics inside of me. As I grow in the craft of storytelling/songwriting, the anointing from the power of those words are gaining the weight of His glory. I feel an entrustment given by the Father above to release as many songs as He gives me to scribe. The impressions within feel like holy multi-dimensional glimpses of where He is allowing me to feel/see things beyond my present circumstances. I feel for others and their stories. I’m feeling things so very deeply now that when someone shares matters of the heart, it pricks my heart to write lyrical art. ☺️
I hope you will keep following along on my journey towards finding home. Home is where the heart is, and I’m happy to say that I feel at home just about anywhere. Courage has found me, and that’s why I can sing. Take courage, my heart. Stay steadfast, my soul. He’s in the waiting.
Now I’m going to direct this back to you, “What are you waiting for?”
If you are willing to share, leave your waiting ponderings in the comments below.
Until next time,
Stay Tender
Connect to the Mender
Be a Sender