Heroes

Every Sunday night, James and I love to watch 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on ABC. For those who haven't seen it, it's a show where a team of contractors and designers surprise a very deserving family who, for one reason or another, are living in terrible conditions with a brand new luxury home. Often times they go above and beyond and provide these people with everything they have been lacking - from computers to cars to full ride scholarships for every child. It's also a very community-oriented show and so everyone who has been positively impacted by this family come to help with the construction, and in turn, the show does everything they can to help the community prosper. Without a doubt, it's the most wholesome and meaningful show on television right now, and I am not ashamed to say that I cry every week because these people's stories are so sad, but end so well.

This season, they've been focusing on honoring local heroes. So far we've seen all kinds of heroes - from families who adopt children with special needs who would otherwise be overlooked, to a correctional officer who devotes all of his time to helping young men turn their lives around, to a soldier who was wounded in battle but, due to a natural disaster, does not have a home to return to. The people on this show are not especially wealthy or beautiful or charismatic, but it is obvious that they are incredibly well loved by everyone they know. They do everything they can to help others, even though they have almost nothing. It's awesome seeing people who take what the Bible says about being a servant seriously, and are rewarded beyond their wildest dreams.

It's truly inspiring, and every week when I turn the TV off I wish that I could live a life that is worthy of something that incredible. And yet, I can't help but realize that these people are being honored and helped because their lives have been so hard for so long. I want my life to mean something and to be remembered, but at the same time I don't want to have to endure some of the hardships that these people have had to overcome. (How selfish is that?)

We all aspire to be heroes at some point in our life, but if truth be told, it's probably safer and easier to be average. It's hard to think that a prayer for God to use me in a big way may invite some terrifying challenges into our life. But...it would totally be worth it - not for us (we may never have a big pay off like these fortunate people on TV) - but because we would know that the world would be a better place because of our sacrifice. We've just got to trust that He would never throw something at us that we are not able to overcome.

So, I will pray in spite of my fear, for I want to be used in a BIG way for the benefit for others, no matter what that means.