Hero: a remarkedly brave man (or woman); superman; champion; conqueror; defeater (for our purposes we will state this as being Jesus Christ); somebody admired.
In this ongoing series, where I introduce to you someone I know or have met, for the sake of avoiding controversy, a ‘hero’ will fit the definition above and by common sense be nothing more than human, but an extraordinary one at that.
I was listening to a song the other day. Here are some of the words:
Well, I don’t know if you remember me or not
I’m one of the kids they brought in from the home
I was the red-haired boy in an old, green flannel shirt
You may not have seen me, I was standing off alone
I didn’t come and talk to you ’cause that’s never worked before
And you’ll probably never see this letter, anyway
But just in case there’s something you can do to help me out
I’ll ask you one more time
All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose, shoulders to ride on if I win
There’s so much I could ask for, but there’s just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family
Words and music by Steven Curtis Chapman
As I sat and listened to the words of that song this year during the Christmas season, I cried. To picture a young child, standing off alone yearning for a home, someone to love him ~ a family. Heartbreaking.
I have a dear friend, Suzanne, who has a heart of gold. How we met is relevant in knowing ‘who’ she is.
When I used to work at the church as the secretary, a letter came in the mail from a couple not to far from where we lived. They were wanting to adopt a baby and weren’t having much ‘luck’ with the system, so they felt led to try ‘faith’ with the churches in town instead. They had written a generic letter to churches in the area, explaining their situation and asking that if we knew of anyone who was considering adopting their baby out for any reason, to please pass the letter along. A long story short – I did know of a young girl who was pregnant and looking to find a good home for her baby.
You will never meet a nicer couple. Tim and Suzanne met us at a restaurant as planned, and my young friend and I stayed and talked for about two hours with them. Ultimately, my young friend changed her mind the day of delivery and Tim and Suzanne were left heartbroken and empty.
Eventually, Tim and Suzanne became foster parents and their first charge was a little girl who eventually they adopted. Their second, another little girl, stayed over a year when she was finally reunited with her mother, who vowed to stay ‘clean’. Their third and last, another little girl with the same outcome as the second. If you’re going to step in as a ‘father to the fatherless’ in any capacity, prepare yourself to be broken, over and over.
Tim and Suzanne are in their late 40’s. They have three boys who are all married and have children of their own. It’s Tim and Suzanne’s time to ‘enjoy life’, as some would say. Why would you, once your kids are grown and have left home, want to resume the responsibility of raising a family all over again? Why would you opt for late nights where you sit up every waking moment with a sick baby? The cost, the time, the energy, the prayers. Most opt out.
Tim and Suzanne are a godly couple I met and fell in love with immediately and who became irreplaceable friends. They were a couple that I began to pray for to find the child God had for them. I knew from the moment I met them that they’d make wonderful parents to a child who needed a home. They have been my hands and feet to love children who, more than likely, would not have had a home. They have had their hearts broken over and over again, but God has held them up.
Overwhelming thanks Tim and Suzanne – for being my heroes in a world full of little hearts just wanting to be filled up, knowing somebody loves them. Press on. You’re making a huge difference in this world.
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