Two years ago in February of 2005 I gave the eulogy at my 92 year old grandmother's funeral. Her name was Elizabeth Williamson but I called her “mimi”. Courage to Be You, Inc. had just been “founded” and I was unsure of the scope of the organization or the details of the dream God put on my heart. As I stood before the small crowd of people gathered at the funeral service, I was only certain of one thingÑmy grandmother embodied and lived the challenge of our organization “do you have the courage to be you Ð the you God created” In an age when women weren't encourage to do so, my grandmother walked on water and slayed giants...long before I was even born.
My grandmother had a fierce faith in God forged by some very difficult circumstances in her life - the death of her father when she was a baby and subsquently being left at an orphanage when she was only 18 months old, the death of her own child, difficult financial struggles during the depression - any one of these circumstances would have taken out a lesser woman. But not my Mimi. Not a single one of them deterred her from living a life of purpose; a life that made a difference. She faced the giants that mocked her faith and threathened her with mediocrity. On more than one occasion, she left the comfort of her boat to walk on the water toward her God given purpose.
In the 1940's and early 1950's, my grandmother passionately fought prejudice and racism in the deep south so that every child could have the opportunity to hear about God's love for them. She crossed cultural and racial lines to teach Bible School to the black children in her community. For that effort she received death threats and rejection from her own “people”. She ignored all taunts from the giants and warnings from the well-meaning souls. She told them all, “God did not create me to be quiet.” So in spite of her fear, she wasn't. She choose action in the face of it. She had the courage to be and do all she was created to É in spite of her circumstances.
That is why here at Courage to Be You, Inc. we named our highest honor the Elizabeth Williamson Water Walking/Giant Slaying Award, in memory of my grandmother. This award is given annually to the individual we feel most demonstrates the courage to be who they were created to be. This journey often requires leaving the comfort of their “boat” (the known) to walk on the water of the unknown. They must also face and defeat whatever giants attempt to stand in the way of their purpose and their destiny. My grandmother would be the first to cheer on each recipient's intentional choice to do just that. We at C2BU believe that each and every life not only has value but a God-given purpose. We believe that each of us “were created on purpose for a purpose”. Living life at its fullest means embarking on a journey to discover and fullfill that purpose. We applaud those that have and thank God for their example.
Have you - embarked on a journey of purpose? If not, I pray our award winners will inspire you. Come on - get out of the boat, it is an amazing adventure!
Many blessings, Jenny