courage is not a lack of fear.

I used to think that being brave meant not being afraid. Now I know better. It's easy to do the stuff that doesn't scare you. There's nothing courageous about jumping in the deep end when you know how to swim.

Now I know that real courage is when you're afraid and you do it anyway. It's naming your fear and choosing to believe in something more than what you're feeling. Its intentional and its hard.

Courage looks a little different on everybody. Traveling internationally doesn't scare me (it did two years ago) but confrontation does. I'm not nervous about leading a women's small group at church but hanging out with teenagers, particularly non-Christian ones, still throws me.

I'm curious - what scares you? And do you do it anyway?