From My Mom’s Bookshelf: Courage

IF COURAGE could be bought in capsules or pills from the drugstore we might all be optimistic, hopeful, and courageous. In some countries the fainthearted will hunt for a medicine man who will kill a lion, cut out the heart, dry it, and feed it to those wanting courage. If the men and women of tomorrow are to be stalwart, courageous, and true, we must somehow implant the seeds of courage, loyalty, and determination in the hearts boys and girls today. The little fellows playing in our back yards must learn how to persevere – to get up and try again when they fall. The boys and girls in our homes must learn that “with God all things are possible”.

Some children have a long line of courageous ancestors, but not all are so fortunate. The child who has a courageous father and mother surely has an advantage. He not only hears about determination and perseverance, but he sees his parents calmly and courageously solve the problems which arise daily in their home. He sees them doing what he, in his weakness, feels is impossible. Of course it strengthens him. Maybe only one of the parents will have this wonderful trait, or maybe neither of them will possess it. In that case we hope he may have teachers who do have it. But if both parents and teachers live and talk courage, the child will grow up feeling all things are possible.

The Bible is largely a record of the lives of men and women of courage. Imagine what courage it took for Noah to work a century building a large boat on a dry land in a country where rain had never fallen. Imagine the courage and fortitude Moses needed to lead the stubborn, weak-kneed, faithless Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. Where did he get the courage with which he tackled this task? I think he got a lot of it from a faithful, trusting, hopeful, resolute mother, who was determined that her boy was not to be killed as the king had decreed, and who thought faithfully in those early tender years.    

Where did Daniel and his three companions get their courage? In their courage? In their character building had been placed the stones of faith and courage – a faith that could face the fiery furnace and the lion’s den. I think they must have heard a lot about this at home – they must have seen it in action.

I know a boy who is never defeated. If he cannot go through a difficulty, he goes round. But he gets there. Where did he get that trait? It was taught to him in his home. Many were the stories of courage told him – stories of Daniel, of David, of three Hebrews, of Esther. He loved to hear about Lincoln, the Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, Columbus, Westinghouse, Alexander Graham Bell, Florence Nightingale, and many others. He heard about it daily and he saw it in action. Rain didn’t stop those parents from going to church, or from meeting some appointment. Some little difficulty did not change their plans.

“Men of stamina are wanted, men who will not wait to have their way smoothed and every obstacle removed, men who will inspire fresh zeal the flagging efforts of dispirited workers”. – The Ministry of Healing, Page 497.

Excerpts from the master story teller: C L Paddock