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Obsessed (or even casual) Hoot Owl like me? You’ll 🦉😻🌆 these posts! This was one of the first times that a fandom and a Bible verse became entwined in my brain, and it still is one of the most impactful, several semesters and a tumultuous graduation later. … For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:10, 13 ESV And that was when Adam Young’s lyrics began to sound like God’s own voice whispering in my ear, “Be brave.”įear not, for I am with you be not dismayed, for I am your God I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Surrounded by other students who had successfully entered the dance program, it was a struggle to make myself go to class every week. I had been rejected by the dance department at my university, and was now required to finish a semester full of classes that wouldn’t take my anywhere. The first time I heard these words, I was battling with one of the worst disappointments of my life. (lovely vocalizations) Okay, I’ll be brave.
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It was so beautiful, I actually cried when I heard the chorus and bridge (still do sometimes):Īnd what I thought in the parking lot was like/ I just wanna know your name/ I drove away with not much to say/ but in my hand I held a paper bird, and written on it were the words “Be Brave”…. This song came out in April of 2018, during one of the more difficult seasons of my life. Here’s a video I found with Adam telling his full story of the inspiration for “Be Brave” and what he hopes that listeners will gain from listening to it ✨ The Vertical View: Personal experience of a courage-giving God And of course, Adam’s poetic style is evident throughout the song with phrases like “Wildflower knew I wasn’t well” and “I was always told your heart is where you’re home.” The main imagery in this song is a “paper bird,” which I like to interpret as an origami crane, but Adam describes it as a business card with a bird on it. It’s a characteristically sweet tale of love after years of loss and sadness. In its original context, “Be Brave” is the story of how Adam Young met his girlfriend Abbie. Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” The Horizontal View: The rewards of stepping outside your comfort zone Get through today, and trust me to guide you.
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Truth: God is with you and will help you. This week, I was thinking about the season of life I’m in and how to find the strength to keep going forward, and ended up listening to “Be Brave” from Owl City’s Cinematic album. Welcome back to The Gospel According To, where we celebrate all things bright and beautiful in the human stories and songs we love, then look at them differently to find the undercurrent of grace beneath.
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