Learning to Be Brave

“No training seems happy at the time; it seems hard. But afterward it brings a good harvest.” — from Hebrews 12

In 1941, when Betty was fourteen, she went far away from home to a Christian boarding school in Florida. It was called the Hampden DuBose Academy. Every part of the day had its own time: chapel, lessons, meals, work, play, and evening prayers.

The headmistress was Mrs. DuBose, and she was very strict. When she met Betty, she saw a tall, gawky girl who was so shy she could hardly speak to anyone she did not know. Betty remembered being told plainly that shyness was nothing to be proud of. She must learn to look outward, and to think about other people instead of herself.

Betty was frightened of Mrs. DuBose! But she took the lesson seriously. Little by little, she learned to stand up straight, to look people in the eye, to talk with strangers and to speak in front of a crowd. It was not easy, and it did not come naturally. But she kept practising.

In the evenings Mrs. DuBose often read aloud from the books of Amy Carmichael, a missionary in India who had rescued many children and given them a home. Betty loved those books. Amy Carmichael wrote honestly about how hard a missionary’s life could be, and about loving Jesus with everything. Betty later spoke of her as her first spiritual mother, and many years afterwards Betty wrote a whole book about her life.

By the time Betty finished school in 1944, she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to translate the Bible into languages that had never had it, so that people could read God’s words for the very first time.

Sometimes God helps us grow through things that feel hard, like a strict teacher or a scary new place. Being brave does not mean you never feel afraid. It means doing the kind thing even when you feel shy.

Dear God, when I feel shy or afraid, please help me to be brave. Help me to notice other people and to be kind to them. Amen.