Courage is certainly something we need today. Not only to progress in our lives, but just to get out of bed. Every morning, businesses are being crushed, people are losing their jobs or forced them to change, there's health concerns, and not knowing what tomorrow's going to bring.  Well have no fear, courage is here!  

when I started in HVAC school, the first thing our instructor told us to do was write this phrase across the top of our books: cold is the absence of heat. I thought that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard and remember thinking I'm paying this fellow a lot of money and this is what he wants me to know. However, as the class progressed and we learned exactly how an AC unit worked and the theory of refrigeration, I understood why he had us write that down on page one. Have you ever felt the hot air blowing off the top of your outdoor air conditioning unit? Well, that's the heat the refrigerants moving from your house and dumping outside. There's no magic potion to make ice cold air. Well, wouldn't it be great of courage worked the same way and was just the absence of fear. Fear is an emotion and we can't completely remove it, but it is a very similar theory in that there is no magic dust that's going to make it go away. 

To be courageous, the first thing we need to do is identify and understand exactly what it is that we fear and then have the guts to overcome it. My dad was fearless in my eyes. I never remember him showing fear. I will never forget the time when one of his friends thought they had moved into a haunted house and after living there one week they moved out and went to a hotel. They swore they would never re-enter that house. They even contacted the previous owner who was a local sheriff and he agreed. He thought the house was haunted and said he would never set foot back in it. Well, the problem was they needed some medication that was in the house, but their fear was so strong that they wouldn't go back into the house to get it. Dad told them he would go get it. As we pulled up the driveway, I remember being spooked, just looking at the house. It's exactly what you would picture an old 18th century, two story home, and then to make matters worse, the doors were locked and they had forgot to give my dad the keys. So dad went to the garage, grabbed a ladder and climbed to the second floor window that he saw open. He didn't have a flashlight, so I saw him reaching his pocket and pull a cigarette lighter out. As he entered the window, he yelled down and told me to put the ladder back in the garage as he closed the window. I was scared to death, but he found his way to their medicine cabinet. got what he needed, and came walking out the front door.  On the way home I was still nervous and I asked him, wasn't you scared at all? He smiled an said no not at all.  I don't believe in ghost and didn't see any, so how could I have been scared? He then told me a story about when he was a kid. He used to walk to his cousin's house to play every day and then walk home at night in the shortest path between their two houses was across the cemetery. He said, one night he was walking back home and it was really dark out and on the other side of the graveyard, he saw this white ghost-like figure shimmering around. He said at first it did scare him, but being the brave kid, he was (or just a nut) he decided to approach it. As he got close enough to see it, he realized that it was just a white plastic bag that somebody had delivered flowers to a grave in. It was caught up on a fence blowing around. He said, so you see if I had not have faced my fear, I would be telling you a different story today. I would be telling you and believing that I saw a ghost and I would be scared to cross that graveyard to this day. So back to my point, when we see or feel fear, we really need to identify exactly what it is and understand it. Then we can have the courage to eliminate it, or at least live with it. 

Now that I'm a dad, I've learned that my dad was human. He must have had the same fears, but he never showed it, because as a dad he was the leader and the protector. When you hear a noise in the middle of the night, dad can't go hide under the bed. In the same way, when challenges arise, a leader must step forward. A true leader or a dad often has to step into the unknown. I have led many people down roads that I've never been down right into the unknown, but as a leader, I couldn't show fear because no one wants to follow a coward. 

When we think of the word courage, we visualize a big strong warrior, but that's really not it at all. The word courage actually comes from the French word core, which means heart. I'm sure you've heard the saying the courage of a lion or the heart of a lion. Well, have you ever wondered why the lion is the King of the jungle? He's certainly not the biggest or strongest by far. I imagine a Buffalo, rhino, hippo, or elephant could stomp them in the ground, but when he roars the entire herd trembles because again, courage is not about being the biggest or strongest, rather it's about having the biggest heart and believing in yourself. 

We have these little tiny ants on our back patio that will not go away over the years. I've tried gasoline and every kind of ant spray out there. And every week I take my blower and obliviated their anthill, but the following week there it is again.  No fire, chemical or tornado can stop these guys. I imagine they lose thousands of men every week when I do this, but they continue to keep power and ahead and are as determined to make my concrete, their home as I am to get rid of them. 

Courage is the willingness to let go of the familiar.  What you know and what you've done could actually hinder you from becoming what you could be if you allow it. Our life expands and shrinks directly in proportion with our courage.  Courage is not waiting for fear to go away. We know this, we fill it in our gut. Fear can be a speed bump, but we can't allow it to be a roadblock. The Bible says in Hebrews to stand firm on shaky legs and that's really a perfect way to say it. Being afraid is human, but we can never let it move us or get in our way. Teddy Roosevelt said, whenever you're asked to do something, say certainly, and then go figure out how to do it. We have to always be willing to take that first step out. And we may be surprised with the ripple effect that that one step can make if we use it correctly.  Fear can actually be a benefit. Some of the most courageous acts take place because of fear.  Throughout history, many great things have begun through one act of courage. There was a guy that made one move 157 years ago and is the reason we are where we are today. Have you ever heard of Joshua Chamberlain? He was a school teacher for Maine and a Colonel in the union army during the civil war. Now he wasn't a Colonel because he knew anything about military tactics or had any experience. He was a Colonel because he was the first one from his hometown to volunteer. No kidding. That's how they did it. Then the next two guys were majors and the ranks continued down from there. On July 2nd, 1863, they stationed this guy in his army, about three quarters away up a field and said, you cannot leave here. This is where the enemy is going to try to breach our line and we'll try to push through you. If they make it, they're going to gain the high ground and will turn around and come back down on us and wipe us all out. They said, you are the most critical point for protecting this little town up the road called Gettysburg. So, Chamberlain and his men spent the entire morning laying up rock about knee-high which is actually still there today.  At 2:30 in the afternoon, just like expected, the enemy came charging up the Hill and chamberlains army pushed them right back down. Then they charged again and again and again.  On the fourth charge, Chamberlain took a bullet right to the belt buckle, realized he was okay, jumped up and started fighting again. The fifth time the enemy charged up the Hill was the worst. They made it all the way to the wall and they had to fight them face to face, but they did manage to push them back down. One more time. By now, they were down to 80 men and totally out of ammunition. They had started with a thousand men and now we're down to 80 with empty guns. Joshua’s brother, Tom, came running over and said, we're leaving right? But Joshua said, no, Tom, we're not going anywhere. They also had a third younger brother out there and as Tom was walking away, Joshua said, find your brother and tell him to keep his head down because this could be a bad day for mama. Then his battle Sergeant came running up and said, sir, should I sound the retreat? But Chamberlain again said, no, we will not be retreating. He said, but sir, we're out of ammo and we've already gathered all the ammo from our dead and used it all.  Their lookout yelled, they are reinforcing. A Texas division was now joining the two Alabama divisions. Now the enemy bigger and stronger than ever came charging back up the Hill and Chamberlain yelled fix bayonets. Then he jumped up on the wall and yelled charge. They thought he was nuts, but they did exactly as their leader told them and followed him down that hill.  Eighty men poured over that wall without any ammunition and captured 400 of the enemy and won the battle of Gettysburg. 

I could give you example, after example of courageous men and women from fighting in battles to pioneering across this country to settle new land. In all cases, it was about overcoming the unknown. Remember what God said to Joshua, as he was preparing him to take over the promised land. He said, have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous and do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. Your God is with you wherever you go. So, I'll say it one more time, courage does not mean that we do not get afraid. I have a  John Wayne quote above my office door that reads: courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.  I can't tell you how many times throughout my career, I've had to look up and remind myself that I can't let fear hold me back no matter how terrifying it may be. 

What do you need courage to overcome today? Starting a new job? That's always a scary unknown, but again, we have to take that first step because it could be the best job we've ever had. Maybe you're afraid to get too close to someone because you're afraid of heartbreak. Well, you could be passing up the love of your life that God sent for you. There is always going to be the unknown and as humans, we're always going to fear that unknown, but it can't stop us from reaching our destination. Remember courage doesn't always roar. It's that quiet voice in our heart that says get up every day and go for it. It takes courage to be successful in everything we do. It is far easier to not be successful. We must have the courage to act outwardly on what we feel inwardly. Otherwise we are just living in the land of would've, could've been, should have, and we'll die a dreamer. So, when fear, steps up, roar with confidence and plow ahead.