My classroom door has the words “Be Bold” painted on it. Why? My new classroom this year was the old Yearbook classroom and that was the theme of the yearbook a few years back.

So why did I keep the words painted on the door? At first I thought it was because it looked better than a mere plain brown door. Plus, I was across from the Art room which had an artsy vibe to it and I wanted to keep in step. But secondly, and truly, I realized that it was because I knew that deep down I needed the daily reminder as I entered my classroom each morning to be bold. Be bold to:

Share Christ with my students.

Stand up for truth.

Proclaim the Gospel.

Pray for others.

Seek Christ first.

Go forward.

Progress in projects.

Work. And not rest on my laurels. As a kid, I wondered what were laurels anyway? I thought that was a nice name for your backside. But later I realized it was your old accomplishments and successes. In other words, don’t rest on any old achievement or plaque of success gathering cobwebs on the back corner of a shelf. Keep working and refining and growing.

Do bold things. Get out of your comfort zone and off your comfy couch. If not now, when?

I am by nature shy and introverted. I am a slow processor. During group discussions and conversations, the topic jumps three steps farther down the road before I can think of a response. I joke with my co-teacher that I have meetings with myself before I have meetings with her because I don’t process things as quickly as she does. Seriously though I can have some witty comebacks, IF you give me about 5-27 hours to respond. I still laugh at one that I was never quick enough to share. Banter is not my forte.

In the past, I often used my quiet personality as an excuse not to be bold. I have a quiet voice. No one will hear me if I speak up. Let someone else do it. All flimsy excuses. I once read a book that called being shy or quiet at the wrong time a sin. Wow, sin? Really? It made me mad when I read that, but it was right. Yes, if you aren’t doing something that you know you should be doing, it is sin. Just start doing it. Do it now.

Hence the reminder to be bold. It feels heavy to stand up for truth. It feels hard to stay on the path. It feels difficult to speak out against something.

Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30 ESV)

There’s a story from The Book of Virtues entitled “The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey.” I always joke with my class about the hilariously-boring, non-creative title. Yet, it’s one of my favorite short stories to read to my students. And, it’s a good reminder to me.

It’s unsurprisingly a story about: a man, a boy, and a donkey. The three encounter various groups of people who criticize them for how they are traveling. At first, the man and boy are ridiculed for walking alongside the donkey. Then the man is called lazy for making the boy walk while he rides the donkey. Next the boy is called lazy for riding the donkey while the man walks. Finally, they are both called cruel when they ride on the donkey together.

After each encounter, the man and boy try to reconfigure themselves to try to “please” all of the people they meet. They find it is utterly impossible to make everyone happy with them. By the end, the man and boy are both walking while carrying the donkey whose legs are tied to a pole. You will need to read the story for yourself to find out the ending, but you can probably guess that it doesn’t go well.

This story resonates strongly with me. I struggle with being a people pleaser. I don’t want to rock the boat. Why? Because I hate conflict. I don’t want to rock the boat because it’s uncomfortable and wet and splashy and messy and complicated and, again, uncomfortable. But, if the boat ain’t rocking, the boat ain’t moving. You’ve got to keep going forward. Sometimes you’re going to get a little wet. You have to do what you’re called to do.

The takeaway from the virtue story? No matter what you do, people will think whatever they want. Don’t live to be a man pleaser, follow God. Be considerate of people, definitely, but do the things God has called you to do.

Remember that “haters gonna hate.” Not everyone is always going to agree with you. And, that is okay.

As I write these words, I get a slight twinge about “worrying about people” or “rocking the boat.”

BUT, as my words and thoughts tumble out, I am happy to have a place where they can land.

I’m happy to share them with you. Feel free to read them and follow a long … or not.