The day after the Super Bowl for the avid football fan has to be a bit of a let down. After the hype from competing commercials and the fanfare of the singing of the national anthem to the grand production of the half-time show, we are overwhelmed by it all. For a day football is king and its players are our heroes. I imagine most of them would really rather not be put on this kind of pedestal. Society is quick to put an elite athlete or movie star in this high position just to knock them down the next moment. It’s a tenuous spot at best. Peyton Manning, the gentleman that he is, handled defeat like a hero. I imagine he learned this by watching his dad, Archie who was a tremendously talented quarterback on a losing NFL team year after year. The Manning family character is to work hard and give it your best effort, win or lose. It’s all a part of the game.
Most heroes don’t share the limelight with those like Peyton Manning and his family. They live quiet, ordinary lives until the circumstances of life call upon them to be heroes. Sometimes it’s a split second decision that leads to courageous action. Other times it’s a decision to hold on when most others would have given up long ago. No matter what, all heroes have the common characteristic that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for others. This is not a trait that just happens without effort. It comes little by little in decisions every day to give more than they get. Then when those circumstances arrive that call for courage, there is no question what action they will take.
Who are the true heroes? Some are famous but most will never be noticed by anyone other than those who have benefited from their actions and example. My heroes are the numerous patients and friends who have fought cancer, sometimes for years. My friend Brenda always had a smile on her face and a kind word to say, no matter how much pain she was enduring as she went through one treatment after another for breast cancer. She was an example of true grace as she passed from this life into the next. Her grandson thanked me recently for being one of those who helped to care for her. I could see her smiling face through his and I know that a part of who she was is being passed on to the next generation. What a blessing!
My heroes are Denny and Pam at my church who tirelessly care for Denny’s mother as her memory continues to fade. As Denny slowly leads his mom up to the altar for communion, his love and care for her is a light to all who witness it. It’s not easy day after day for he and Pam to carry out all the little things the rest of us take for granted, making sure that Helen is bathed, dressed and fed. This is a sacrifice that they choose to give. My own mother did the same for my grandmother for years before her death. It’s family caring for family even when it is difficult and often times unappreciated.
My heroes are the teachers at Sandy Hook who sacrificed their lives to save the children in their care and the eight year old boy who ran back into a burning trailer to rescue his disabled uncle after already saving several other family members. They could not wait to ponder their decision to act. They had no idea ahead of time that they would be called upon to give their lives that day. My heroes are the firemen who ran into the Twin Towers to save others only to lose their lives moments later as we watched in horror when the buildings collapsed. Our firemen, police officers and military train endlessly to be physically and mentally ready at a moments notice to put their lives on the line for all of us. It is a choice to give one day after another. They don’t know if this day may be their last.
Most of us are not talented enough to be professional athletes or called into service professions like our firefighters. We may have ordinary jobs behind a computer or a cash register. We may be a stay at home mom trying her best to raise her family day by day. However, we all have the opportunity to be heroes. I propose that all these heroes I have mentioned have one characteristic in common. Giving was a part of who they were everyday-it was a daily choice. So when circumstance called upon them for courage and endurance, there was no question what they would do. In essence, being a hero is a role each of us has a choice to play. But don’t wait until the time for courage comes upon you or you will not be ready. Chose every day to give more than you get. Use the example of our ultimate hero, Jesus as your guide. He never sought out acclaim or comfort for Himself but chose to give to others up until the moment of his death on the cross. While He was suffering so, He entrusted the care of His mother to His beloved disciple, John. He voluntarily walked toward His crucifixion so that we could live. We are not perfect as He was perfect but we are made in His image, a reflection of His nature. There is a hero waiting to be born in each of us. Chose to be that hero for someone in your life today.
