Heros!

I watched a heroic act today.  Okay, I wasn't there, but I watched it on the news. A man assisted two people off a Metro Bus filled with water after flooding.  At first when I heard the news announcer call him a hero, I paused and thought..."Why is EVERYONE a hero just because they do something right?"   That was honestly my first thought.  I continued to listen and heard the accounts of the man inside the bus who talked about his fear and not knowing what to do.  In his mind,  he didn't know what was going to happen.  He was scared to stay on the bus, scared to get off.  As a spectator from the comforts of my home, I thought once he started walking outside the bus with water only to his waist, he would feel better.  But he said he was concerned about man holes and pot holes (which Houston has many of).  I never thought about how fear follows you as you escape.  The danger in his mind was not over until he was far away from it in a place of safety where he could see the bus from a distance. In his mind, the man who helped him ..was a hero. 

I found the man who rescued them, was not even a passenger on the bus.  His car was also in the water, but he had already escaped it.  He went BACK into the water to help someone he didn't even know.

The word HERO can be used and misused so much today.  On one hand we have people who go out of their way, leave their own comfort zones or places of safety to reach and help someone who is in danger.  On another hand we have people who do what almost anyone would do, by calling 911 or making some effort to bring help they cannot give to someone that needs it. Sometimes both get the title of hero.

BUT WHAT IS A HERO?

A HERO is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character,  a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.

 

 

In light of this definition, every day we run into heroes. We are never a hero in our own mind, that is a title given by someone who views you as something you may not feel you are.

 

HERO 1992

 

 

One of my favorite movies was the movie oddly entitled "Hero"  Dustin Hoffman starred in this film about a man who was on the streets and witnessed a plane crash.  He  reluctantly took his shoes off, (since he didn't want them dirty) went to the plane, and forced the stuck door to open as the plane  burst into flames.  Everyone who could escape on their own ran from the plane to safety.  But when he realized a few people were still on the plane, he grudgingly went back and rescued them, one of which was a reporter played by Gena Davis.

If you can get past the language, the message was really humbling.  The theme was about a man who didn't have a perfect life but he did what was right, without wanting the accolades that came with it.  The reporter who was thankful to be alive was insistent on finding and rewarding the man who ran into a burning plane to save strangers.  No matter what others thought or happy they were,  in his mind, he was NOT a hero.  But based on the definition of it, Heroes are seen in the eyes of others.

 

BE A HERO THIS YEAR!

Most of what I write in my blogs have a spiritual context, simply because that is part of who I am, so this conversation is not just about floods or fires or tornados.  It is about life.  

 

People every day are in situations that they- like the bus rider... don't know how they are going to get out of it. They don't have any clue what the road holds or if their steps are going to be good or bad, safe or detrimental.  We as Christians have the power and opportunity to reach, touch and even rescue people from the pains they are in.  We have an answer in God that speaks to every trouble that man can find themselves in.  And not just in this world, but in the world to come.  But people sometimes need a hero.  Someone who is not concerned about accolades or credit, they are not concerned about their own safety or what others think about them, (good or bad), they just know someone needs help. 

 

 

OUR RESPONSIBILITY

When you think about responsibility, remember these two words: 

 

RESPONSE   ~     ABILITY

We are only responsible for what we  have the ability to respond to.  If you are drowning, it is not my responsibility to jump in and save you.  I can't swim.  But if I have a phone on me, or see someone nearby... I have the RESPONSE ABILITY to call someone to assist you.  If I see a life jacket or long rope, I have the ability to throw them to you.  This year, when you see someone hurting, think about what you can do to help.  What do you have in your hands?  Can you reach them, connect them to someone else, can you pray?  Whatever your ability, make plans to respond. We don't do what we do to get accolades or a title, we do it because it is right.  

 

"A HERO is defined as a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character,  a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal." 

In your mind, this may not define you, but it is not for you to decide if the actions you take to help others is worth the title of hero. To some who may be in the midst of great pain and unsure of their focus in life, it may be life or death to them.  You may have already escaped some pitfalls in life and are well on your way to a safe zone, but when you see someone who is struggling with what you came out of, remember you have the ABILITY  to speak reach them.  The ABILITY to encourage them.  IT just takes your RESPONSE.  

I may not think every action merits the title 'Hero', but that is not my place to decide.  Someone who is hurting may see what you do to help hem as heroic.   Ultimately God knows how your testimony and service impacts the lives of others.  But if you don't want to ask Him,  I guess we can ask the man on the bus.