Heroes

Men that inspire us.

I remember being young, eagerly running up my Grandparent’s stairs, going in to their bedroom and anxiously turning on the television set, something important was happening, important to me at least, I did not want to be interrupted nor I wanted to watch anything else, Batman was on and that is all I cared about. The gadgets, the risk, the suit, it was all awesome and I wanted to be Him, I dreamt of swinging across skylines with my grappling gun and of taking down robbers with my surgically precise karate moves, I wanted to be him so much that the highlight of my day was slipping in to my batman pajamas that had a cape velcroed on, I wanted to be Batman, I wanted to be a hero. I did not care he was made up, I did not care he was a cartoon, he was an ordinary man that faced extraordinary odds, and as a very young man, that felt like the calling of my life; To be extraordinary, to stand up for the weak, to rise against gargantuan problems and succeed, to be a Hero.

Much has changed since those days, I sadly report that my pajamas no longer have a sweet cape velcroed to their back, and all though I am still a huge fan of Batman; he no longer is my source of inspiration and heroism.  I still would like to be a hero but it is not by means of gadgets and combat skills, and all though I still have heroes, they do not wear capes or cowls. My heroes are different now, I have seen true adversity, I have seen impossible odds and I have met the men that have endured them, they are my heroes.

I know of a man in Louisiana that suffers the agonizing pain of failing livers, during his health battle He lost his wife to what seemed like a random attack of cancer. He is a minister of the Gospel and an intense prophet, through all of this , he kept his faith, in fact he grew even stronger, and all though he still suffers from his ailment, he preaches that God heals and is used by God to bring both physical and spiritual healing to people every year. He did not become bitter towards marriage, instead he kept his heart open and allowed for a wonderful woman to step in and take in on the role of companion, he is an amazing husband and places his wonderful bride before himself, he pours his life out equipping young people and speaking the truth of the Gospel, He is my hero.

I know of a man in southern Mexico, American man, owed nothing to these people, yet, he chose to spend His life serving a community abandoned by the very government, he spends his days going from village to village loving people, casting out demons that afflict people, raising their dead, healing their sick and preaching the Gospel. He does all of this while being shadowed by his family, his children are now in the ministry as well, and instead for asking to inherit houses, they ask to inherit churches and people to serve, That man is my hero.

I know of a man who was once my teacher, he speaks with such passion and heart, he taught me to care for broken people, and that to our God nothing is impossible, he took me and other students on wild adventures in the city in order to bring more people in to the kingdom of God, he taught me to be more comfortable preaching in a street corner rather than in a Church. Now he is leaving his life behind to plant a Church in what seemed like a forgotten city. He is not the head pastor, although he is more than adequate to start his own church, he humbled himself and is following the vision of another amazing man of God, this is because he is more interested on bringing people in to salvation rather that his name being remembered by people, this man is my hero.

I know of a man that was young and clueless, in his youth He approached me and my friends, began to teach us how to rap and how to play ball. He took us out to cheap fast food and to watch movies, although we were considerably younger he treated us as equals, He listened to us and gave us advice, taught us how Godly men should behave around ladies and took us to six flags, he taught us what a young life given to the gospel looked like. He was the first man to ever disciple me.  Although I hear that he is confused now and is not sure what way is the right way that man is still my Hero and I love him.

I know of a man of amazing mechanical skill, engines and gears have being his life and passion, when he works on a vehicle is almost like He speaks to it, He finds problems no one else did, and he fixes them to perfection.  As a young man he loved racing bikes and working on his truck, when he got married his first born experienced complications, she survived but it was a miracle. Seeing the poor treatment of government hospitals, He did not wish to run the risk again, so when I came along, He gave up his precious truck to ensure I had the highest medical care, and so I was born, this man is my father and my Hero.

I know of a man, all man all God, He was surrounded by incredible beings every day, and they went around his throne in awe and worship screaming out HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! he sat next to his father from the beginning of creation, He enjoyed his fathers wonderful company and His Fathers enjoyed his. He is absolutely perfect, absolutely beautiful, and absolutely wonderful. He saw that we were broken, stained by sin, and that His father would be denied his own beloved creation unless something was done. And so, in one of the most intense paradox I know of, he was given to us before the sin was even committed, He was given to us so that we could be free, so that we could be with His Father our creator. He traded the voices screaming out HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! For voices screaming out CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM! He gave his perfection in exchange of our anger, hate, lust, lies, theft. His beauty was scared, beaten and spat on beyond recognition, He took a pain unbearable, the pain of being pulled away from the Father He loved so much by our mistakes, He did all of this not because He had to, but because He wanted to , because He loved, because He cared.

This man is named Jesus, and He rose to victory on the third day, now He sits in all glory next to His father again. It is that sacrifice that makes Him the ultimate hero, it is that sacrificed that allows a man in Louisiana to heal people and have endurance to believe for his own, it is that sacrifice that became the example for the man in Mexico that although beaten many times He continues to love the very people that clinched their fists against him, it is that sacrifice that allows that man to humble himself and serve regardless of position or title in a church, it is that sacrifice that made a young man extend a friendly and caring hand to kids that probably annoyed him at times, it is that sacrifice that allowed that man to give up his most precious physical possession to ensure the health of his unborn child, it is that sacrifice that allows you and me to be the heroes we are called to be.

At the end of the day is not the guys with and S on their chest that impact us, but the men with a cross on their back that choose to act like Christ every day. Never take any day or action for granted, you never know when you will inspire some body, you never know when you will be a Hero.

Psalms 16:3 "The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!"

Who are your heroes? Let me know in the comments.