The Unsung Heroes

We hear alot about heroes today.
Those who give their life for this country.
Those who risk their life everyday for justice.
Those who come together for a common cause, to save someone else.

But in the midst of these wonderful heroes, there lies another hero.
You won't find him in the pages of the front news.
He isn't interviewed by CNN and Fox.
People don't normally notice him. He's just there, everyday, doing what he does.

This hero is an Unsung Hero.

This hero is the man who breaks his back day after day, hour after hour, eeking out a living for his wife and children, so they will be taken care of.

This hero is man who comes home exahusted from working all day, yet gets down on the floor to romp with his 2 year-old.

This hero is the stranger who chooses chilvary in a world where it is barely known and appreciated, and opens the door for the woman behind him.

This hero is the man who cries out to God every night for wisdom and strength in leading and protecting his family, wondering how in the world he can give answers to life's question to his children, when he himself is still asking.

This hero is the man who doesn't give up, no matter how hard things are.

This hero is the man who does what is right, simply because it is right to do.

This hero is among us, everyday. Few people thank him for what he does. But few could survive without him.

Of course there are many, many female heroes in this world too. I certainly do not mean to take away from their heroicness.

I fear though, that too often we forget the men around us, who are trying to do right. Trying to be the men we want them to be.

So to all of them, I say thank you. For proving that true men DO exist. For giving us hope that there is still old-fashioned chilvary in in this world. For not giving up, though there seems little purpose in continuing.

Gentlemen, I salute you.

-Miss Deb

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Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

Psalm 50: 2.

The photo is of the 12th century Khor Virap monastery in the shadow of Mount Ararat. Photo source: Wikipedia

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Life and Romance

“Life is not all about romance. In fact it is RARELY about romance.”

A friend said that to me recently. We weren’t even actually discussing romance at the time. And, I couldn’t have agreed with him more. In fact, I’ve said that exact thing before or at least thought it. But, for some reason that particular idea has been bouncing around in my head ever since he said it, and I can’t seem to get rid of it. It’s been bothering me, to tell you the truth.

Why is it bothering me? Because I wish life could be all about romance? Um, no.

It bothers me, because I feel that there are some common misconceptions among we single women, concerning what life IS all about.

Love and Romance are very special things. God created them. They are gifts that He grants to most of us at some point in our lives. It’s an exciting gift, and we all look forward to it with eager anticipation. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

What’s wrong is to draw the conclusion that “Life is all about romance” therefore: “My life doesn’t truly start until I have romance.”

Girls, I can tell you for a fact that life is NOT all about romance. I have proof! I have lived 26 years and haven’t had a stitch of it in my life.

I have a friend who is in that special romantic stage of her life right now. She’s newly engaged, planning her wedding, living on cloud 9, and all that stuff. She’s REALLY happy right now. I’ve never seen her so happy.

But, even in this stage of her life when romance is at its peak and life is candy and flowers, her life still isn’t ALL ABOUT romance. She still has to go to work, and she still has to do a good job. She still has all of the family, friends and relationships she had before she fell in love. And she’ll still have all of those things after the wedding… and after the 1^st anniversary, and the 2nd, and the 10th, and the 25^th, and 50^th. I hope her life is happy and special and the romance continues right up to their 75^th anniversary. But, even if it does, it’s not the only thing in their lives.

So, what IS life all about? The short answer is: Life is about serving God. In fact, that is why we have life.

I want to encourage all of us single girls to put our focus on serving God. I know it’s easy sometimes to feel left out when our friends are falling in love. When it seems like everyone has romance except us. But, the truth of the matter is that romance is just a PART of life. It is an exciting, beautiful part of life, but it is just a part. And there are many other parts.

I may not have had much experience with the romantic part of life, but I can tell you I’ve had plenty of experience with other parts. And many other parts of my life have been exciting and beautiful.

I’ll admit, I get discouraged sometimes when it seems like my Prince Charming will never come…

But, Life isn’t all about romance.

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Step of Faith

Sometimes when it comes to having to make decisions, I think I remind myself of Adrian Monk of the detective show Monk.

In one particular episode, Mr. Monk goes temporarily blind as a result of interrupting a crime. In spite of this, he is determined to solve the case. While following a lead, he and his assistant, Natalie, go to a construction site. Somehow, they manage to get separated and Mr. Monk finds himself taking a ride on the elevator up to some random upper floor, where he proceeds to get stuck on a slender steel beam.

Mr. Monk, still blind, assumes that he's stuck on that small steel beam, several stories from the ground below. He teeters there, desperately trying to keep his balance, trying not to fall. He calls frantically for his assistant. "Natalie! Natalie!"

Finally, his assistant comes running to his rescue. "Just take a step, Mr. Monk. Don't worry, it's okay."

She takes his hand and he tentatively takes a step of faith and finds that the floor was only a few inches away all along. He laughs with relief. It wasn't so bad - he was never in danger at all, really.

When it comes to decisions, decisions that feel as though they could determine the outcome of my future, I am like Mr. Monk. I imagine myself to be standing on a slender beam, wobbling precariously over a deep something. Should I stay or should I step into the unknown?

I have a feeling that the ground really isn't as far away, nor as dangerous as I keep imagining. But I don't know and, like Mr. Monk, I find it hard to trust when I can't see. I can't see the outcome and I don't even know if God wants me to wobble here longer or just take a leap of faith and fall where He would have me fall.

And so, as I wobble, waiting for word from God, I remember...

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24

Mr. Monk might have Natalie, but I've got God holding my hand. Who can beat that?

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Love

God has called us to be lovers and we frequently think that He meant us to be saviors. So we "love" as long as we see "results." We give of ourselves as long as our investments pay off, but if the ones we love do not respond, we tend to despair and blame ourselves and even resent those we pretend to love. Because we love someone, we want them to be free of addictions, of sin, of self--and that is as it should be. But it might be that our love for them and our desire for their well-being will not make them well. And, if that is the case, their lack of response no more negates the reality of love than their quickness to respond to love would confirm it.

Love is a virtue and not a feeling. It is fed and fired by God--not by the favorable response of the beloved. Even when it doesn't seem to make a dime's worth of difference to the ones on whom it is lavished, it is still the most prized of all virtues because it is at the heart of the very character of God. By loving we participate in His Life and Essence. When we stoop to bait and buy good behavior we are no longer loving as God loves. We are manipulating and cheapening the dignity of the person whom we are called--not to save, not even to change--but to love. If real salvation is possible (and we know it is) it is because real love is there. And love that is real, love that is truly a virtue and not an act--agape love--gushes from God through those who knows Him. It is not strung along by those who don't.

- Rich Mullins, Excerpt from The World As I Remember It: Through the Eyes of a Ragamuffin

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What If?

What if NOTHING ever existed.
A hard thought to grasp.
What if GOD never existed.
If you're a Christian, you believe that if God never existed, nothing ever existed.
Without God, there is nothing. God made everything.
What if you weren't a Christian, or let's say that regardless of God, life had a beginning, and somehow, this earth, and its people, and the universe came to being.
What if God wasn't a part of it? What if there was NO ONE in control of everything.
What if there was no one to turn to when you feel like nobody else understands.
I just thought about all that for a few minutes, and I am SO GLAD I have such a wise God.
Anyway, these are just some things I was pondering earlier. Any thoughts?

Yes, definite thoughts!

What if there was no one to turn to when you felt like no one understood. Scary! Isn't that what pushes people to suicide? When all along there is a God who understands, cares, and loves you. Instead, he gets push him away, ignored; the understanding, the love, the help, it's all rejected. Exchanged for a life of freedom, what I want, when I want it, not answering to anyone, misunderstanding, loneliness, and depression.

Yes, being a Christian isn't easy, but hey, if all else fails I'll never be lonely. I've had times where I felt alone, misunderstood, and in despair. I very clearly remember one day curled up in a ball, sobbing my heart out and asking God, why? Where are you? Why do I feel so alone? I clearly remember God speaking and saying "It's o.k. I'm here." I knew at that moment that I wasn't alone, and I never would be, that God was holding me like a little baby, comforting me, all I had to do was look at his face and realize it. Do you know the joy, and love that comes flooding into your soul at that moment. It picks you up off the ground and you fly on the wings of the love of God. I don't remember the reference but the Bible says "I will never leave you or forsake you. O.k. o.k I'm looking it up, Hebrews 13:5. It also reminds me of something I read it a book once.
You can never be where God is not. There is no place where you can out distance Him.
No dark corner where He is not already there waiting for your arrival. No deep recess of your heart and soul that He does not know of. No secret that He does not share. And he does have power, to change, to keep, to do the impossible....for without Him, nothing of importance is possible. We can only fumble and stumble in darkness. But with Him there is light, even in the hardest (I would include darkest) of time.

One more thought before signing off. These are the words to the song "What If" by Nicole Nordeman:

What if you're right
He was just another nice guy
What if you're right
What if it's true
They say the cross will only make a fool of you
And what if it's true
What if He takes His place in history
With all the prophets and the kings
Who taught us love, and came in peace
But then the story ends
What then

*But what if you're wrong
What if there's more
What if there's hope you never dreamed of hoping for
What if you jump
Just close your eyes
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise
What if He's more than enough
What if it's love

What if you dig
Way down deeper than your simple-minded friends
What if you dig
What if you find
A thousand more unanswered questions down inside
That's all you find
What if you pick apart the logic
And begin to poke the holes
What if the crown of thorns is no more than folklore that must be told
And retold

*Repeat

'Cause you've been running as fast as you can
You've been looking for a place you can land
For so long
But what if you're wrong
What if you jump
Just close your eyes
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise
What if He's more than enough
What if it's love
What if it's love

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Kindness Makes The Coffee

When I think of Proverbs 31, verses that generally come to my mind are the ones about who can find a virtuous woman, and a woman who fears the Lord being praised. But in the midst of these important truths there is another truth often skipped over--The Teaching or Law of Kindness.

Prov. 31:26 (ESV)
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Kindness is generally thought of as an action. "She was kind to me today" usually means she did something nice for another person. Or we might say we're "Thinking kind thoughts" of another person.

Kindness is rooted in far more than that. The root of kindness is love. Not just any love--unconditional love, which means loving others regardless of whether or not we feel like loving them, and whether or not they earn it.

I love this quote from Max Lucado:
"Kindness not only says good morning--kindness makes the coffee."

Kindness is not completely synonymous with niceness. There are plenty of days I may be nice to someone because society requires I smile politely and say hello. But kindness takes it one step further. Kindness chooses to love them unconditionally, inquiring about their day, showing genuine interest as they talk about it, and perhaps even offer to help in some way, should they need it. Going the extra mile, even at great cost to ourselves.

I know when I think of unconditional love, I think of loving people regardless of how they treat me. But there is another side too--loving people regardless of how I feel like treating them. In other words, even when I don't feel like loving them and being kind, I must choose to turn to the Lord, and ask for His love to flow through me for that person.

When we are filled with the fulness of Christ, we will be governed by love, for He is love. Kindness will flow from our mouths and actions, because its root is within us.

~Miss Deb

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