Do You Know A Hero?
Not every Marine is a hero. During field training exercises at
Parris Island, South Carolina, one drill instructor threw a pine cone
among the recruits and yelled, "Grenade!" The trainees immediately
turned away and hit the ground. "Just as I suspected," chided the
drill instructor. "Not a hero among you! Didn't anyone want to jump
on that grenade to save the others?"
A little later the instructor tossed another pine cone and yelled,
"Grenade!" This time, all the recruits but one jumped on the
"explosive."
"Why are you still standing there?" the DI demanded.
"Sir," the recruit replied, "someone had to live to tell about it."
Not everyone is a hero. But then, not every hero jumps on grenades,
pulls terrified children from burning buildings, or wears an
impressive uniform.
Do you know a hero? I am not asking you to simply name a favorite
celebrity. There is a difference.
Do you know a hero? I think perhaps you do. Heroes, you see, can be
found in some of the most unexpected places. I knew a young mother
who was slowly dying of cancer, yet she put aside her pain long
enough every day to smile and laugh with her children. She tried
hard every day to bring sunshine into the gloomy hospital room when
her family was present. And I watched her husband fill the roles of
single parent and financial provider, and still spend every
remaining moment sitting at his mate's bedside, valiantly
encouraging and offering whatever hope he could muster.
I knew a talented teacher who could have worked at a far more
lucrative profession, yet was determined to stay in a disadvantaged
school in the hope that she could make a difference in a difficult
situation. She did it for her students.
I've known other heroes, too.
You may have noticed - many of the world's true heroes will never be
confused with action figures. Most have never been to battle,
competed athletically nor sung in a pop band. But they have faced
nearly impossible challenges with unimaginable determination and
courage. They found what it takes to bear the unbearable, forgive
the unforgivable, love the unlovable, outlast the unendurable or
defeat the undefeatable. And often they do it for the sake of
others.
Do you know a hero? Maybe one lives in your home. And perhaps one
even looks back at you from the mirror. For it is in everyday
battles of the spirit that true wars are fought and won. And it is
those real-life heroes who give the rest of us hope and remind us
that anything is possible.
Do you know a hero? I think you do.
~ Steve Goodier ~
[ by: Steve Goodier -- Copyright © 2010 -- from Steve Goodier (LifeSupport@yahoogroups.com) ]
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