Courageous & Strong

Courageous and Strong. That was the theme I was asked to speak to the Girl Scouts about a few years ago. The troop leader said they asked me because of my Christian Faith and wanted me to teach them about strong women from the bible. I was honored and horrified. I had to speak in front of a dozen young girls about what true courage and strength was. What?! I have days when I’m not even sure myself! How was I going to be able to deliver a convincing, faithful message to these girls? What if they thought I was full of crap? Or were bored. Or already had their own ideas about faith and God? Or….. there were so many ors. And there it was. My first lesson in courage and strength. Doing something that was outside my comfort zone, but in my heart knowing it was the right thing to do.

I remember my mother telling me long before I became a parent, that when a child is young, the brain is hungry to learn. Anything. It’s like a sponge and will absorb whatever there is to absorb. That being said, offer positive, faithful, morally and ethically correct information. Lay a strong foundation for these young minds to build on as they grow and develop. 

After much deliberation, I chose the story of Jael and Deborah. (Judges 4-5) Deborah was a Judge, which was not common for a woman in that day, and a prophetess. She helped the Israelites attain a victory against a far superior military. As the enemy troops fell, their general, Sisera, fled to the camp of Jael the Kenite. She called him into her tent, fed him, and when he fell asleep, killed him. They won the war and both women were hailed as heroes.

Wow. Pretty brave. Now I had no intention of painting such a graphic picture for these impressionable minds. However, I really liked the idea of introducing a lesser known story of amazing women in the bible to them.

The girls were riveted. They asked so many questions about the story, my faith and other life lessons. I was thrilled!

The other part of the badge was an activity to go along with the story. What would I enjoy as a kid? Heck, what would I enjoy as an adult? 

One thing I have yet to attain as a runner is a medal. I have run countless 10k’s and 5k’s. But no medal. (Someday!) Wouldn’t it be great if these girls could do something they never thought they could and have something to show for it?

I ordered a bunch of blank plastic medals with red, white and blue lanyards. I had each girl design their own with words and images that meant courageous and strong to them. 

I had a conversation with one young lady about her faith in Buddha. I was excited to support her and her beliefs. I hope my enthusiasm effected her positively.

Then I set up a race course. A start and a finish line. (Which I considered a “keep going, never give up” line. ) I stood across the room from the group of girls. Each ran as fast as she could from where they gathered to me. The other girls cheered and clapped for each runner. As they crossed the finish, I placed their medal around their necks. The girls were beaming.

Don’t forget how that moment felt, ladies. Remember to run your own race, have faith in your Higher Power and to always be courageous and strong.

As for my medal? Well, unbeknownst to me, my husband took one of the extra medals and wrote
​Best Wife Ever on it.

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