A Little Bit Brave

For the last few months, I've felt God calling me to start a blog.

But I was afraid.

Up until a couple of months ago, I didn't see any girls close to my age doing things like starting blogs about living for God. I knew teenagers with writing blogs, and I saw a lot of blogs written by women in their twenties, but in my heart I knew that I needed to write to other teenagers about living from a love for God.

Yesterday, I got to reading some of Annie Downs' writing. Her book Let's All Be Brave is technically supposed to be for adults, but I still read the free excerpt because I love Annie's writing.

That little excerpt is all I've read of the book, but even that touched that space in my heart that keeps trying to push me forward, into unknown, uncertain places. And I listened.

Sunday morning at church, the sermon was given by a woman, something I was super excited about. Then she, Holly Wagner, started preaching about bravery. Again, that space in my heart whispered be brave.

Bravery isn't easy. Bravery means facing danger and fear. I looked up a definition, and the top result was "ready to face and endure danger or pain." I'm not really agreeing with this particular definition, specifically that word ready.

I am not ready. I am not ready to share my heart with the world. I am not ready to reach out to other teenagers. I am not ready.

Yet here I am.

I'm not coming into this with a tool-belt filled with the right words and witty phrases. I don't have a guidebook telling me how to have an awesome blog that gets tons of shares and views. But I knew God was calling me here. And I said yes. Only it was more like murmuring well if you're sure, then I guess I'll do it.

I spent too much of the first day of this blog's existence trying to come up with a name I didn't steal from a Francesca Battistelli song. Even after I got myself to settle on a title, I wasn't satisfied. Until I wrote this post, I didn't know what I really wanted to name this blog.

I realized while writing tonight that being a little bit brave is what this blog is about. It takes a little bit of bravery to live honestly, gracefully, and confidently right now.

A little bit of bravery can lead to a late night conversation with a friend about the fear in your life. A little bit of bravery can lead to living a life of freedom. A little bit of bravery can lead to your greatest dream.

Being a little bit brave means taking a step towards uncertainty, unprepared and a little (or a lot) scared.

I am not ready. But I am tired of waiting.

A little bit of bravery can lead to trusting that God will use this tiny corner of the internet to touch someone's life.

So here I am, trying to be a little bit brave, and hoping to help you do the same. And that's what's up.