Central to Blue Bloods main character, Frank Reagan, is a poster of Teddy Roosevelt on his office wall. Frank’s key strength, affirmed by Blue Bloods 12 seasons, is conviction that, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…” Its 6.11 million viewers give nod to the quote. To find your life you must lose it.
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be
seen,” as Brene Brown shares. Scary stuff being seen; being known. I have caverns
that conceal all kinds of dark. Fantasies I don’t share. Arrogance always. Ah,
Pharisee. Funny thing: when I am vulnerable it deepens relationship. 99% of the
time when sharing a struggle others admit their own.
The one percent? My previous marriage. Being seen was used for
blackmail. All of us have wounds. Hence the call to courage. We desire depth.
With God, with friend. All of us yearn for passion. We won’t get there without pain.
“From silken self, O Captain; free thy soldier who would follow thee.”
“Who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and
again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming…” I get in the
way. There are days that my love and passion for my wife are blurred by selfish
acts and stupid detours. My daughter tells me I didn’t hug her enough growing
up. Don’t give up-press in! Do what it takes; get counselling, cry out to
community, cry to Jesus, cry period.
The story is told of a man who hired a guide to get to the
top of a beautiful mountain. The guide told him he could take little to the top;
only himself and his courage. But the man said, “I am bringing with me
blankets, I am bringing chocolate. I’m bringing fear and shame.” Along the way
to the top were scattered all these things. The man never made it to the top.
He stopped in the plain half-way up and pitched his tent. Many pitch their tent
on the plain. And the plain is so very full of tents.
“if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that
his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know
victory nor defeat."
