Real-life Examples

So, what would a real-life example of flying true look like? The answer to this will vary from person to person, but I have a couple of examples to start with.

Invitation to a group

My youngest son is an outgoing, fun-loving guy who can talk to just about anyone but also has strong opinions about people. You can find out more about him and what it’s like to spend time with a seventh grader in this post from a couple of years ago.

Since David’s now in high school, he was allowed to join the youth group at church. Now, he’s one of the youngest members of the group and doesn’t go to school or live in the same town as most of the other kids. Yet, last week, the youth pastor commented to my husband that there’s all these new kids that keep showing up to youth group. When the youth pastor asks them how they heard about our church or the group, more often than not the reply is ‘David’. Our youth pastor began to scratch his head and then turn to the junior and seniors who are strong leaders to ask them why they aren’t inviting kids.

Conviction to wait

This past summer, my husband was the photographer for an incredible wedding. In a world of hook-ups, one night stands, and kids who date one person for a couple of weeks and then move on, this couple stood out. We had a fun photo shoot before he even asked her to marry him. As they posed for a couple shot, my husband asked them to kiss. Both of them looked him in the eye and said, no. At our shocked expression, they explained they were waiting until they said “I do”! We watched several months later as the two of them stood in a grove of myrtlewood trees with family and friends around them and said their vows, then experienced their very first kiss. It was a magical moment that few will forget.

Courage Embodied

Courage comes in many forms. For some it may be to stand up for their religious beliefs, while for others it may be taking a stand against bullying or human trafficking. I’m looking for stories of young people who display everyday courage and take a stand for what they believe is right. I’ll be sharing these stories with the hashtag flytrue. If you know of a young person who has this kind of courage, please share this link with him or her or tell his or her story. I can’t wait to here these stories. I hope these tales will inspire more courage. Until next time, may your dragon fly true.

That was my dad. Strong, tall, and brave. I never saw him cry until several years ago. Life has not been nice to my parents, but they have never complained. Dad has a faith that can move mountains. He persevers through all of the ups and downs thrown his way. When I was eighteen, he had a ruptured disc in his neck. The ER nurses were impressed at his pain threshold. He came to my graduation in a wheelchair, but he was there. Six months later, I met him in the ER again. He and Mom had come to pick me up at the airport from college, but a car behind them had not been able to stop in the bottleneck. Dad’s words to me were ‘we need to stop meeting like this’. As the years have progressed, he’s dealt with constant pain from fibromialgia and various neck and back issues. Yet through it all, he endures.

Some say that courage is dong extraordinary events, but I say that my dad has courage because he faces every day with a smile on his face and gratitude in his heart. It may be difficult to get out of bed or he can’t sleep at night, but he lives life moment by moment. He encourages others through their hard times. He has mellowed over the years to a compassionate man. His pride has been broken. He will say if he hurts now. In the past I knew it was a bad pain day because in answer to how are you feeling, he’d say ‘with my fingers’. Because of dad, I have great respect for those who struggle with constant pain. He is my role model. If I can be half the person my dad is, I will be happy. 

The picture is of my father-in-law, son, dad, and husband when my son graduated from high school three years ago.