To all of our American readers, we want to say, "Happy Thanksgiving! May you be filled with joy and hope as you celebrate God's goodness."

 

The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.”
Proverbs 23:24

My real life hero was my father. I know many people would say that, but I consider my dad, gone now 30 years this month, to be the real deal.

You see, my hero loved his God, his family, and his soldiers. He came to know and trust the Lord when he was around 30, but the transformation was instant. He married at 21 (to my 16-year-old mother) and was faithful to her until he died at 52. He could have played professional football and was offered a contract by the Detroit Lions, but instead he chose to serve his county. He humbly served two tours in Vietnam, won three silver stars within five months, and rose to the rank of four-star general.

He paid his way through school, was from a broken family, and could easily have become an abusive alcoholic. But he chose a different path. Many nights he would rock us four girls to sleep, take us to Sunday school, comfort us when we had to move yet another time, walked us down the aisle, and on his death bed, still asked if there was anything he needed to ask forgiveness for. Since his death in 1986, I have run into hundreds of people who knew my dad, respected him as a soldier, and were touched by his gentle but firm leadership. Now that is my kind of hero!

How about you? You may not have been blessed as I was by a loving earthly father. We live in a broken world with broken people, but you have a heavenly Father who adores you, loves you, comforts you, and leads you. Jesus Christ was heroic in all He did, most especially by going to the cross and dying for you. You can fully put your faith and trust in that One.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for real life heroes. Most of all, I thank You for Your example. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Take Action

Make a list of your own personal heroes in your journal, and pray for the character traits of each one. Ask God to make you more like them.

Do you need prayer? We have confidential mentors ready to listen and to pray with you.