Heroes

As a child I never really had heroes.  People always ask kids who they want to be like when they grow up.  I never knew.  I don't know if it's just my kind of naturally cynical personality, or experience with good literature early in life, or just being a punky independent girl. 

As an adult, it's been a little bit the opposite.  Having seen the pain that life can bring I guess I have wanted heroes a little more now than when I was small.  Cynics can dream too. :) Someone, somewhere has to do it right.  I don't need super powers or leaping of buildings, or capes and costumes. 

Can you be dependable?
Can you be trustworthy?
Can you hang in there when it's hard and you have to sacrifice?
Can you tell the truth? All the time?
Can you love unconditionally?

Recently a hero has fallen off his pedestal.  Someone I love and care for.  He's fallen pretty far.  And his fall affects lots of people.  But the truth is that under the cape and costume heroes are people too.  Flawed and fallable like the rest of us.  So I guess my hero can't be human.  Or can he?

When I was fifteen I wrote Jesus' name on my hands and said my whole life.  Jesus.  All of it.  All for you.  (It's a little weird, I know this.)  Jesus has never once failed me.  Never let me down.  He is the utmost example of love and sacrifice.  Of a life well lived.  Of a human being to aspire to be like.  So that's my Jesus.  My hero.  And he's gone a step further in giving me glimpses of him in the people around me.  Like my friend Ashley says, I'm not sure if I can trust you, but I can trust Jesus in you.  And those glimpses of Jesus in my friends give me hope when other heroes fall down. 

Thinking this through in the shower tonight I had a little Jesus time.  Full out singing and everything.  There's a song I learned growing up that just got stuck in my heart and I had to sing it out loud.  The lyrics go like this:

Tu amor por mi es mas dulce que la miel
Y tu misericordia es nueva cada dia

Es por eso q' te alabo
Es por eso q' te sirvo
Es por eso q' te doy todo mi amor. 

*****

Your love for me is sweeter than honey
And your mercies are new every morning

For this reason I praise you
For this reason I serve you
For this reason I give you all my love.