Everyday Heroes – November 04, 2001
It’s not uncommon to find people trying to avoid unpleasant responsibilities. But heroes of everyday life don’t evade responsibilities. They keep striving in small, seemingly unimportant actions.
Simple responsibilities are the hardest, most important work we do. There are a few extraordinary moments along the way. But most of life is not spent on emotionally high mountaintops or in dark, aching valleys. It’s on the level plains where we work, raise children, and keep the house.
In those common, quiet places we see true heroes emerge: the employee who gives the boss an honest day’s work; strangers who inconvenience themselves to help someone in need; fathers who want the love of their children more than any power in an executive suite; the mother who knows that caring for her baby is not an admission of professional failure; the teacher who takes time to praise and encourage students; drivers on the road who are courteous and civil; school children who widen their circle of friends to include those who are different or alone; workmen who build each house as if they were going to live there. These are the heroes of everyday life who don’t cut corners on what they owe to themselves or others.
God calls for us to accept our responsibilities, and to act generously. “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”1
By striving to do what’s right, everyday heroes emerge as caring husbands and wives, strong fathers and mothers, and honorable friends and neighbors.
Program #3768
1. Micah 6:8.