an uncomfortable thought... from the summit...

As I continue to mull over all I heard at the Summit... there is one thought that makes me uncomfortable...

The theme of courage... connecting... offering compassion... are bound up in me... as if in a head-lock...

Being an introverted-perfectionist... it takes courage... for me to connect... step out... offer compassion... be seen...

The speaker who spoke about vulnerability... shared an excerpt from her book...

When we spend our lives waiting until we're perfect or bulletproof before we walk into the arena we ultimately sacrifice relationships and opportunities that may not be recoverable, we squander our precious time, and we turn our backs on our gifts, those unique contributions only we can make.

Perfect and bulletproof are seductive, but they don't exist in the human experience. We must walk into the arena, whatever it may be -- a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation -- with courage and the willingness to engage. Rather than sitting on the sidelines and hurling judgment and advice, we must dare to show up and let ourselves be seen. This is vulnerability. This is daring greatly. 

---Dr. Brene Brown, Daring Greatly 

To climb into the arena of life... the one Jesus invites us to... the life abundant... is to dare greatly...

He calls us to a life of love... and as the speaker reminded us...

...love is messy, hard, tough...

She went on to say...

You can choose courage 

or you can choose comfort,

but you can't have both --- 

they are mutually exclusive...

Here is where it gets uncomfortable... I long to be courageous... AND... comfortable... but the reality is this combination does not exist... Remember... courage is only needed... in the face of danger... fear... or difficulty... Who needs courage if you're comfy...?

A challenge to step up to... one I pray I will not back down from...

A call to remember... Jesus Himself was not comfortable in His skin... He had no place to lay His head... He was led into temptation... His life was threatened multiple times... He was described as a man of sorrows... He sweat blood... He hung on a cross...

I choose the uncomfortable... I choose courage...

How knows... maybe one day... I'll become comfortable... with being... uncomfortable...