HIDDEN HEROES
I recently heard an older gentleman tell the heroic exploits of war veterans from my hometown. These were men who fought in World War 1, World War 2 and the Korean Conflict. Several of the men he referred to received Congressional medals of honor, the Purple Heart, and the Silver Star.
Now, when this gentleman was a young boy, he remembered seeing these veterans “out-and-about” in our small town. One was a mechanic at a local filling station. One was a coach for a high school football team. One worked at a restaurant, and one at the local drug store. They seemed to be just ordinary men with ordinary skills and talents.
He knew nothing of their heroism and acts of bravery. Nothing whatsoever. But, one day the city had a Veteran’s Day parade. As he stood and watched the parade go by, he saw the drug store owner, the mechanic, and the football coach go by in their military uniforms. Their awards and medallions were displayed on their uniforms for all to see. He realized that day that there was more to these men than what met the eye. He had walked by these “men of valor” for years and not realized the bravery, courage and fortitude each man had. They were battle-tested men. They were deserving of honor and respect, but he never knew it, because these men didn’t talk about the battles they had fought. They had come back from war and integrated back into society and were just regular, productive citizens.
As the gentleman told his stories, I couldn’t help but think about the people you and I pass by every day who have gone through battles in life that we know nothing about. Some don’t say a word about the struggles they’ve seen or the conflicts they’ve overcome. They’ve shown uncommon courage and bravery in the face of disaster and discouragement. They are deserving of our respect and admiration, but we don’t even know it. We only see their occupation. We only see them as another person standing ahead of us in the line at Walmart. We only see them as the person who sits in the pew in front of us at church. If God were to put them “on parade,” we’d see the awards and medallions they wear as veterans in the battles of life.
Yes, I believe there are HIDDEN HEROES among us … and you might just be one of them.
Fight the good fight of faith. 1 Timothy 6:12
Provided by My Morning Walks with God
My Morning Walks with God is A six-month daily devotional filled with inspirational thoughts and messages to help you in your Daily Walk with God.
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