What Unafraid Reveals

We went shopping a few Saturdays ago. It was a successful German day. That’s what we say when we are able to communicate with Germans with less grunting, more actual words.

As we checked out at Karstadt, my husband said to me, “A few months ago we would’ve been too scared to ask where all this stuff was. And we would’ve missed out just because of our fear.”

That, my friend, is Life. Unafraid.

It happened again two days ago. Monday I walked into Hugendubel and searched for the book I’ve been stalking for months. Since I found out Dietrich Bonhoeffer was martyred just 57 kilometers from Bayreuth. I want to see it. But first, I want to know his story. So I started looking for the book.

But Germany’s amazon scares me a little. Because I’m never quite sure if I’m ordering the English version of a book or its German counterpart. And the cost of shipping requires a good amount of certainty for such purchases. It was something I needed to physically see.

Also, I plan to mark it up a whole lot. So I didn’t want the nook version. I wanted the pages.

So I searched the shelves for German version of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Spy. But the book was not on the shelves. Not even the German version. It would have helped my plea, having a physical representation of the book I wanted. Because I can say the words “in English, please.”

I’d been feeling cute and spunky that morning, having just returned from two fun days in away in Munich. Also, I had my favorite hat on and my shoes that make me feel like I don’t sit around all day watching TV and eating bonbons. Perhaps the Unafraid hid inside those shoes.

For they walked me up to the information counter and placed me directly in front of a German-speaking worker. I spoke an Unafraid dialect of German, which the nice lady understood. She helped me find the right version on her computer and then she ordered it for me! Not only that, she said she would have it for me the NEXT DAY.

That’s when I blurted out, in German

Because I think that means something like, “This makes me so happy!” And the lady laughed at my Unafraid.

To be honest, so did I.

And so this week, I am finding even more of the real life God wants for me. The life that nests itself right inside the fear of God. Directly behind Unafraid.

**Have you checked out my manifesto yet? It’s called Life Unafraid: The Manifesto. It’s all about what God’s been teaching me about living and fear and what it really means to trust Him with every step. You can get it for free if you’ll just sign up for my email list. Just click right here.