Heroes In the Shadows

Do you ever have those dreams where some of the details are fuzzy or just don't make any sense, but you are suddenly hit with some kind of understanding or realization of what it means, weird or not? That happened to me the other day. Like most dreams that I have, I have forgotten most of it, but I did jot down some of the details at the time with the intentions of sharing the message later on down the road.

The only thing that I remember about the dream, even as I think about this morning, is that there was a young child in it, boy or girl I don't know. Age- maybe 8-10 years old? It seems like, although I didn't right this down, that the child was wearing a University of Michigan football jersey (I love U of M football, so maybe that's why he/she was wearing one of their jerseys- it was my dream after all). (Note also that this dream was after U of M got creamed by Alabama last week). But the main thing about the dream and the only other thing I remember about it, was that this young child was a Heisman Trophy winner and that people were yelling and cheering in celebration. An 8 to 10 year old Heisman Trophy winner. For those of you who don't know what the Heisman Trophy is, it is called, "The most prestigious award in college football". Probably a dream for many young boys (and possibly some girls I suppose). But as I awoke from this dream, my mind still groggy from sleep, trying to piece together the few details that I could remember, I began thinking about other sporting events. The Olympics had just recently passed, so I thought of those athletes who are the best in the world who strive to win the gold. The World Series is coming up soon, where the best players make up the best teams who play for the world championship. The NFL football season starts this weekend and college football started last week. All of these sporting events and teams are made up of the best athletes in the world- and if we love sports, these athletes become our heroes. Many of us may not be into sports, but into TV and movies and our favorite Hollywood stars become our heroes. This is obviously a big thing in this day and age because whenever I check my e-mail, the page is inundated with celebrity news. There are TV shows all about celebrities and what they're up to and that reveal their private lives. Reality TV is about all that's on anymore. We are fascinated with other peoples' lives. Many people desire to have a life like their favorite celebrity. Celebrities become our heroes.

This is what I took away from the dream: what if there is a different kind of hero out there? One whose life is not in the spotlight. One who faithfully lives his or her life doing what they were created to do, the best that they can do it, regardless if anyone notices or not, because it's not about them. A hero who lives in the shadows. Their stories are not highlighted on the evening news or on AOL's homepage. Most people in the world probably don't even think of them or even know they exist because their stories are not shared in the main-stream media- EVER. Heroes who give their all and who do whatever they have to for their cause. Their cause is not about getting glory or making a name for themselves. Their cause is not about becoming rich or making a lot of money. Their cause is not about how many people they can sleep with. Their cause is not about thinking they can do whatever they want because they feel entitled to it. No, on the contrary, their lives are usually filled with suffering and persecution, hunger and thirst, troubles and hardship, while at the same time filled with peace and joy. Their cause is deep and true. Their cause has meaning and purpose and gives life to the dead and brings hope to the lost. These heroes are the men and women who faithfully serve our Lord with all of their being regardless of the cost and regardless of the glory (or lack of). I honor these people. They are the real heroes on this earth. They are the ones who will receive the ultimate award. They are the ones we ought to be yelling and cheering for and rooting on and striving to be like. These are my heroes.
2 Corinthians 6:3-13
These heroes need our prayers and support. If you want information about these heroes and what they're up to, go to The Harvest Fields Ministries Page and visit the ministry websites that are linked there. Also, check out The Harvest Fields Resources page for books, newsletters and other resources that share stories of  heroes in the shadows.