Pensamientos para hoy (afterthought for today)
Ordinary Hero
Recently my daughter Lisa had a homework assignment to interview one of her parents. She decided to interview me. I found it interesting to answer questions about my life, and it gave me an opportunity to reflect on some parts of my life that I haven't thought about for a long time. One experience that came to mind during the interview is something that I will never forget. It happened when I was a young boy living with my family at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada (just outside of Las Vegas). I was in the Cub Scouts and our Cub Scout pack went on a bus ride to a scout camp up in the mountains. We were on the highway, in the hot desert, in the middle of nowhere when the bus broke down. We were miles from town and had no way to call anyone (this was before cell phones), and no other vehicles were on the road; so our scout leader decided to walk back to the nearest gas station. The scouts and the rest of the adults got out of the bus and began to explore the surrounding desert of sand, sagebrush, and cactus. We could hear a rattlesnake somewhere nearby and tried to find it. Finally after what seemed like hours another bus arrived. Happily we climbed aboard and continued on our way to the camp up in the mountains. I remember this event for several reasons, but one memory about this experience will always stick in my mind. It is the picture of our scout leader trotting down the highway into the hot, barren desert to look for help. I thought he was a real hero to go alone into the heat of the desert and bravely rescue us stranded Cub Scouts. Then when he finally returned with another bus I was doubly impressed. Not only did he bravely face the long walk back to the nearest gas station, but he was able to get another bus and get us, albeit a little late, to our campground. He probably was just an ordinary guy, but to me he was a real hero. Life is full of opportunities to be someone's hero. Children and young people are looking up to the adults in their lives--not just their parents--to portray extraordinary effort. We don't have to wait until we're stranded somewhere on the highway to show this kind of effort. God gives us many opportunities to simply do the right thing, go the extra mile, and selflessly give our time and effort to a good cause. We don't have to be a superhero; all we need to be is just an ordinary, everyday hero. Don't wait to be a hero or heroine. Look around you and take advantage of the little opportunities that are all around us everyday--opportunities to meet the needs of those who may find themselves "stranded" looking for a hero. Pastor Steve May 10, 2007
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