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Hula hooping as an act of bravery

She eyes the pile of hula-hoops.

“Aunt Amy,” she whispers, “I would like to do that.”

Mary –we learned her name—was more than willing to share when I asked if my niece could hula-hoop.

The young one threw herself into it and didn’t care that she wasn’t very good at it yet or that many of us were delighting in her willingness to just go-for-it. One of her sisters sidled up to me, “Aunt Amy, I would like to do that.” It’s hard to approach someone you don’t know and ask if you can join in, so I went with her and asked if she, too, could hula-hoop. Mary had many hoops for a reason, she loves hula-hooping and sharing.

Mary turned to me as she had a hula hoop going around her legs and said, “You should try it too, these hula hoops are actually weighted for adults.”

That may be, but I haven’t seriously hula-hooped in years. Oh let’s be honest, it’s been decades and the phrase “seriously hula hooped” has never applied to me. I stood there smiling at the three of them as they spun and delighted.

i would like to do that.

As a so-called respectable adult, it’s tempting to listen to that voice that says, you will look like a fool.

I am the kind of person that if I’m going to do something, I throw myself into it. I grabbed the brightest pink and orange hula hoop and gave it a try.

In terms of brave actions, this will not go down in the annals of history. But in that moment I, like the girls, had a choice: was I going to be brave or was I going to let fear hold me back?

I get that there is a world of difference between Big Brave acts and little brave ones. I’m not sure on the exact relationship between Big Brave and little brave, but there is one. As I say yes to more little brave opportunities, it strengthens muscles I need for those Big Brave opportunities.

Big Brave situations do not normally come with lots of warning, we just find ourselves faced with a choice, an opportunity, a call to make. I picked up that hula hoop as a public declaration that I want to be brave in the little so that I can be brave in the Big.

As that hula hoop went around and around my waist, a third niece joined and then the last until all four of them were there. The six of us hula hooping before the Lord and all the on lookers, it was a group act of bravery.

David danced before the Lord with abandon, much to his wife’s chagrin. He was known for his bravery and it stemmed from his ability to keep his eyes on God whether fighting a giant, hiding in the hills, or dancing with abandon. When I keep mine there, I am able to follow in David’s footsteps and live life not out of fear, but out of focus.

What is something little brave you have done recently (or have been putting off)? How do you see the relationship between Big Brave and little brave?

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8 Comments July 9, 2012

About Amy

My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet.

Comments

  1. Kristi Magi says

    July 10, 2012 at 1:36 am

    Little acts of bravery since February 16, 2011: getting on a plane in Chiang Mai, getting off the plan in Philadelphia, staying with Joann, talking with Jeremy and Laura, going to the hospital, talking with Marilyn, visiting the Brewsters, crocheting, spending time with Sheryl, phoning family, staying 3 weeks in Michigan with strangers, staying with Tom and Sherry, talking with Sherry, going to church, going shopping, driving a car, going to Jeremy and Marie’s wedding, taking pictures in public, going to Ohio to visit Dana and her family, driving to Johnstown for a visit, playing with children, working as a waitress, driving through South Canaan, meeting with CCA teachers and staff, watching NCIS, reading a book, reading and talking about China, praying out loud in front of people, house, dog, and babysitting, doing home school evaluations, subbing for Head Start, going to CCA events, subbing at CCA, going on a ladies retreat, deciding not to return to China with UTP, deciding to return to China to teach TCK’s, asking for support, sharing more of my “story,” reading a work of science fiction.

    The little acts of bravery are acts of faith that draw us closer to God. If we are faithful in little things we will be trusted with bigger things.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      July 10, 2012 at 2:02 am

      Kristi, this is a beautiful testimony of how very brave you are!

      Reply
      • Kristi Magi says

        July 10, 2012 at 2:54 am

        After posting the above comment I went to fb and a friend had posted this a quote from A Horse and His Boy. “Do not dare not to dare.” How appropriate. :)

        Reply
  2. Lynn says

    July 11, 2012 at 11:38 am

    S/He who is faithful in the little things will be faithful in the big things. It is step by step that our bravery is revealed. They seem to be small steps until we look back and see that they were really big ones hidden in a few small ones. Keep taking those small steps :).

    I drove by your high school today and thought of you. Praying all is well. It looks like you are having a good time and hula hoops can be pretty fun once you get past the worry of what others will think.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      July 11, 2012 at 10:19 pm

      How fun to think you drove by my old stomping grounds! And prayed for me :) … thanks!

      Reply
  3. kathi says

    July 26, 2012 at 5:16 am

    This is really sweet! Right now my l4 yo grandson and I are having a ‘hoopin’ contest with my weighted hoop. I got up to l39 and he’s at 300 and still going… Thanks for showin me it doesn’t have to be a contest:)

    God takes us thru the ‘Big Braves; too – please visit my website set up to Give Him All The Glory:)

    Reply
    • Amy says

      July 26, 2012 at 6:23 am

      Will do! Wish I could join you and your grandson and hoop a bit with you.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Hula Hooping as an Act of Bravery | Hooping.org says:
    July 26, 2012 at 4:43 am

    […] Amy Young lives in China and she was at the beach with her nieces when they spotted a woman named Mary hooping it up. The girls asked Aunt Amy if they could give a hoop a spin and given that asking perfect strangers if you can join them can be awkward, Amy asked on their behalf. It turned out Mary had brought many hoops for a reason – so she would have some to share. As the girls began to hoop it up, Mary turned the focus back to Amy. Amy writes, “Mary turned to me as she had a hula hoop going around her legs and said, ‘You should try it too, these hula hoops are actually weighted for adults.’ That may be, but I haven’t seriously hula-hooped in years. Oh let’s be honest, it’s been decades and the phrase ‘seriously hula hooped’ has never applied to me. I stood there smiling at the three of them as they spun and delighted. I would like to do that. As a so-called respectable adult, it’s tempting to listen to that voice that says, you will look like a fool. I am the kind of person that if I’m going to do something, I throw myself into it. I grabbed the brightest pink and orange hula hoop and gave it a try. In terms of brave actions, this will not go down in the annals of history. But in that moment I, like the girls, had a choice: was I going to be brave or was I going to let fear hold me back?” Read more at The Messy Middle. […]

    Reply

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