My friend Laura recently told me her church was praying for
Mark and me as we prepare to move to Haiti.
She said we were her heroes. I am
so thankful for her prayers, and know she was encouraging me and giving me a
compliment. I feel uncomfortable, however,
thinking I am a hero to anyone because of our upcoming move to Haiti. Laura, for example, is caring for her mother
with Alzheimer’s. Before her mother came
to live with her, she completely re-decorated a bedroom for her mother, in her
mom’s favorite colors. Laura had not
always had an ideal relationship with her mom over the years, but now she is
dedicating herself to her care. Isn’t
she a hero? What about parents of children with special needs? They are definitely heroes. How about those who repair our power lines
when it is 20 degrees below, so the rest of us can stay warm? How about spouses of our military heroes,
staying home and keeping the family going?
And I could go on and on.
Just looking at my own situation, there are so many heroes. There are people who believe in the work God
has called us to and have given sacrificially so we can go. They are my heroes. And what about our family members, who will
have more responsibility on their shoulders because we are not close to
home? We are forever indebted to them,
and will miss them fiercely. And those
who undergird us in prayer and notes of encouragement. We couldn’t do this without their support.
We are all in this together.
As Christians, we are called to so many different ministries. I was called to be a wife, to raise our
children, to provide speech therapy in a low-income school. Now God is calling me to minister in Haiti. I have heard people say so many times “I
could never live in Haiti”. Neither
could I, but by the grace of God. I am
no more cut out for this than the next girly girl. But as Christians, we go where God tells us
to go, and do what He tells us to do.
Honestly, I so often doubt myself and doubt that I can live up to this
task. Then I remind myself, if God has
called me to this, He will equip me. I
don’t have to do this on my own strength.
That is a good thing for my friend Laura to remember, too, as she cares
for her ailing mother.
So, I think as Christians, it would be good to consider each
person’s calling as a heroic act. It is
not always easy to do the tasks God has put before us. I think God allows us to face difficult tasks
so we draw close to Him for our strength.
Some calls are more “glamorous”, or draw more attention. But we are all parts of the body of Christ,
and each calling is important for the kingdom.
So if you serve Him by transporting school children safely to school
each morning on a school bus, you are my hero.
If you work on the line in a factory and model Christ before your co-workers,
you are my hero. If you perform surgery
and save lives, in the name of Christ, you are my hero. If you love others unconditionally in His
name, you are my hero. What God wants is
not necessarily for us to say “yes” to a heroic calling, but to say “yes” to
Him, whatever that entails. Because
after all, Jesus is the only real hero.
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