Audacity
‘I have the audacity to believe.’ (Martin Luther King)
January 2019. New Year. It seemed impossible. A devastating typhoon created a mountain mudslide that left a house destroyed. The people inside barely escaped with their lives. It was a terrifying ordeal for this poor family in the Philippines, yet what astounded me more was their courage under fire. Instead of tending to their own needs, they focused first on the needs of their neighbors whose homes, too, had been broken by the storm.
I spoke with the young woman, the daughter, that night while the rain was still pouring down. Her family was standing outside at the roadside, soaked to the skin and now left destitute. ‘How can I help?’ I asked. I was struck and surprised by her calmness, her faith, that all would be OK. ‘I believe Jesus is with us.’ I persisted. ‘And what do you need?’ ‘A place for shelter and emergency relief supplies for people who have lost everything.’
My pulse was racing. What could I do – and fast? An idea flashed into my mind. I took quick snapshots of my possessions of any financial value, my racing bike, and my touring bike, and posted them on Facebook: £350 for the racer and £300 for the tourer. A Christian biker friend immediately got in touch: ‘I will buy the racer on 4 conditions: (1) you keep the bike for me; (2) you ride it regularly; (3) you keep it in good condition; (4) you accept £500.’
Within days, my parents had ‘bought’ the tourer on the same 4 conditions as above and other Christian bikers and friends got in touch to ask how they too could help. Within just 1 week, we had enough money to build the family a new house – and at a safer location. I was buzzing with excitement! I had never witnessed such a miracle and I couldn’t wait to tell the girl in the Philippines. She responded with a typical bright smile: ‘Jesus is with us.’
When do you have the audacity to believe? How do you inspire coaching clients to tap deeply into existential-spiritual beliefs, values, and courage too, to help them discover the impossible is possible?
Nick Wright is a psychological coach and organisation, development consultant. www.nick-wright.com