Why Courage Must Be Chosen

Cancer causes you to reevaluate life. When they said I had breast cancer, the ridiculous thought came to mind, would I also an oblique obituaries where people say she "died after a courageous battle with cancer." As if it was hand to hand combat, dueling until cancer kills everyone. Death does win in the end, whether it is by cancer, car accident, or old age. What cancer forces us to face is our mortality. It is watershed moments, where we choose to face fear with courage or lay down, in denial, and become a couch potato. However, is courage a John Wayne’s--"A man's gatta to do what a man's gatta do” or his “courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway”? Isn't our mortal existence designed to be more than putting one foot in front of the other or simply taking one day at the time? Where is the nobility? Where is the winning the final crown? Cancer taught me there is more to courage than doing what has to be done. Courage is sitting down with fear, reaching into your gut and choosing to be valiant, brave and noble. My choices rely on knowing my Heavenly Father directs my life for my good. Instead of fear--courage chooses joy and peace, in the midst of loss and pain, in the here and now.