At the “BraveHearted Cookie” GNO Thursday night, this incredibly strong and brave sister Regan, shared a story with all the women about one summer in college when she volunteered at a teen adventure camp. The last week of camp they set out white water rafting. She had all twelve of her kids in the raft when she saw the other boats were all flipping at a certain point in the falls. The lead guide instructed her that if she didn’t want her boat to flip she needed to get all the kids to the front of the boat, paddle hard, and aim the boat to HIT THE ROCK HARD!
It seemed counter-productive, but Regan trusted that the guide understood exactly what needed to happen.
She knew the kids in her boat. She knew they were strong enough to do it and that they would be brave enough to hit that rock hard. She tells the full story of how it all turned out in this video on her blog. But I’m here to tell you today, that the girl in that life jacket at GNO?
She’s not afraid to aim for the rocks.
She knows that doing anything important with your life requires courage. She knows that sometimes it means aiming for the rocks. Regan understands that hitting the rocks isn’t comfortable. In fact, she knows it’s likely going to hurt, but that doing that scary, painful, thing could be the very thing that saves you. You know how I know? Regan stepped up and said “Yes” when I asked her to lead the first half of The Courage Workshop session at our first live streamed GNO. She knew it would be imperfect. She knew there would be a million variables that could go wrong, that it might be messy and complicated. But she also knew this:
Sometimes you have to put on your life jacket and paddle hard, aiming for the very thing you thought you were trying to avoid.
Sometimes you have to do the hard thing. Sometimes you have to aim for the rocks, even while you’re afraid. Sometimes you even have to aim for the pain you’re afraid of. Pain is a great teacher. I know the rocks look scary. (Believe me, I know.)
But what if you could see, that the pain of the rocks is actually the very thing that could save your life?
Think it through. Pray it through. Seek guidance from those who’ve gone before. Make sure the right people are in your boat with you.
Then show up scared, and aim for the rocks.
Say what needs to be said. Ask for forgiveness. Do what needs to be done.
Don’t run from the pain.
It could be the very thing that saves you.
to more love,
Crystal
p.s. There are only a couple more days of early bird ticket sales to attend our casino style “You’re in Luck GNO” on March 7th. It’s a St. Paddy’s Day card party to give you an Ace in the Hole! (* because we believe luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity!)
