Courage [Sarah Palin] - 3.9.11

    There are many people who will put their life on the line for their country, or die for something they believe in.  But there are few in this world that will dedicate their entire lives to a righteous cause, and suffer pains worse than death for what they hold dear.  There are few who will go through emotional and mental abuse for their entire life, never dying or being freed from all the adversity they must go through.  There are few who will persevere through every thing until they achieve what they want. These are the people who will fight for something with all their strength, and these are the people who will rely on and accept God's help when they reach their limits. These are the people who are truly courageous.

    Sarah Palin is someone who I believe exemplifies courage in her life.  She fights hard for what she believes in, even through all the adversity and hardships that life seems to have attacked her with. Many people admire Palin for her daring actions and her fearless determination.

"There is another thing that comes to mind when you think of Sarah.  The boldness of her actions. She doesn't sit back and let others decide.  To quote Star Trek, she 'boldly goes' forward into the future with determination, fearless in facing whatever adversity [that] comes her way." 

"No matter one’s political beliefs though, it’s hard to dispute that Palin displays a fierce determination in the face of substantial adversity ... about issues in which she believes and with an admirable willingness to “take the darts and the arrows”  she receives from all critics while continuing to speak..."

    In Palin's book, Going Rogue, there are many examples of how she would fight her way through adversity.  She would have a vision of what she wanted, make a goal, and then persevere until she achieved that vision.
    While running for vice-president, at 43, Palin discovered that she was pregnant with her fifth child. The trials that would come with having a newborn during her campaign would be hard, but she later found out that they would only get even more challenging.  Her baby, Trig, was to be born with Down Syndrome.  Initially, Palin began to think things like "Do I have enough love and compassion in me to do this?" She had once read that 90 percent of Down Syndrome babies are aborted. After having read such a thing, she could not keep herself from thinking that it may be simply impossible to deal with, that it would be easier if she just got "rid of" the "problem".  Abortion, to most, is an easy way to deal with a "complication" whether it be an impaired child, or a teenage pregnancy that might handicap a young woman's life. Palin received a "sudden understanding of why people would grasp at a quick 'solution,' a way to make the 'problem' just go away. But again, [she] had to hold on to that seed of faith." The way that she handled this frightening, hard, and discouraging situation inspires me.

"I wanted our loved ones to focus on the fact that this baby, every baby, has purpose, and that not only would he learn from us, but we would learn from him.  I decided to write a letter as though it were from Trig's Creator, the same Creator in whom I had put my trust more than thirty years before. I hoped that even though this new baby would present challenges, we'd trust that God knew best, that He didn't make mistakes:   'I am blessing you with this surprise baby because I want the best for you.  I've heard your prayers that this baby will be happy and healthy, and I've answered them because I only want the best for you! ... I put the idea in your hearts that his name should be 'Trig', because it's so fitting, with two Norse meanings:  'True' and 'Brave Victory' ... I let Trig's mom and dad find out before he was born that this little boy would truly be a GIFT."

    This story about her son shows her true courage.  It shows that she was willing to face the trials that would come with this child.  It shows that she would take situations that could otherwise be negative, and be as optimistic as she could be.
    "One day we will be confronted with our true potential; and we will see what we have missed because we have not embraced the ultimate help offered to us from our Creator.  Life is not worth living if we walk around in it without really knowing that every choice we make defines our lives in the eternities." Palin was dependent on God when she reached her limits. She relied on his strength to help her get through her problems. She says, "I do know there is a God. My life is in His hands. I encourage readers to do what I did many years ago, invite Him in to take over . . . then see what He will do and how He will get you through. Test Him on this. You'll see there's no such thing as a coincidence."
    But this is just one of the many trials she faced. When her daughter,  Bristol, got pregnant out of wedlock, the media immediately seized the story, telling false information and making it appear that Palin endorsed teenage pregnancy.  Indeed, Palin was proud of Bristol to have the determination and strength to deal with the hard circumstances by taking responsibility.  But they were not "giddy-happy that [their] unwed teenage daughter was pregnant, as the press release suggested."
    One of the hardest challenges occurred on September 17th, while Palin stayed in Michigan during her campaign.  Once again, the media carried the terrible news. She spoke of her feelings as she found out what had happened:

"I had just seen on TV a sickening report that my personal e-mails had been hacked into, and I figured that's what he wanted to talk about.  A cold hand squeezed my heart, though, as I wondered if something else had happened with the kids back in Alaska ... "Your personal e-mails have been hacked," Schmidt confirmed.  "The hacker is broadcasting your personal e-mails on the Internet right now. And photos, too."  And it wasn't just Todd's and my e-mails -- It was the kids', too.  And personal contact information ... It was another fine how-do-you-do:  Hi, Governor, welcome to the blood sport known as presidential politics ... My mind raced to other messages I knew were stored in one of my e-mail accounts:  Bristol and I discussing her pregnancy.  Todd and I discussing Trig's medical challenges ... All kinds of sensitive discussions.."

    Even now, Palin is still attacked frequently because of her willingness to speak boldly and never back down. She continues to fight for what she believes in, and what she thinks is right. She is one of the few people in this world that choose to face the emotional and mental abuse that she is attacked with every day for what she believes in. Like Palin, do you have a vision for what you want for our country? Do you have a vision of what you want for yourself, and your family? Do you have the courage to persevere, and dedicate yourself to your righteous mission?  And are you willing to sacrifice, fight, and endure to reach your goal?