Superheroes in our midst
Superheroes go about in plain clothes, blending into the crowd. Often we know them, but their familiarity blocks our seeing their superhero qualities.
I caught glimpses of these superheroes in action when a giant tree fell on my brother’s house, when I broke some bones, and when I blogged about my struggles with sadness.
The Tree Story
In May, a very large, old tree fell upon my brother’s century-old house causing a lot of damage. He came home from work in the dark of night to find the damage. I imagine coming home to find a huge tree in your bedroom unnerving.
I learned of the problem later the next morning. Right away I wanted to help, but I don’t know how to operate large machinery or powerful chainsaws, nor can I lift massive logs, so all I could do was offer prayer and emotional support.
Unbeknownst to me, superheroes heard about the mess and called my brother. These men ranged in age from 65 to 80. Superhero Uncle Jake coordinated the effort and operated the skid loader. Superheroes Uncle Sam, Uncle Rudy, and first cousins once removed Tim and Gary rode up in their superhero trucks and trailer with powerful saws. It took six or seven hours for them and my brother to cut that massive tree off the house and clear it away. Because my brother lives in a city of 10,000, they dealt with curious citizens driving by while they worked. They probably intended to glimpse storm damage, but instead they saw superheroes in action.
Later, my niece and her boyfriend and my son secured tarps to prevent the frequent rainstorms from causing further damage. My brother was grateful for the support. And though it isn’t my story, I’m touched by their actions, as well.
The Broken Bones Story
You may remember me blogging about this incident. Superheroes showed up for me too.
Last year in April, when I broke my right leg and left foot, my Aunt Nancy arrived at my house with a walker with a seat and wheels. Without it, I wouldn’t have been so mobile. This device allowed me to be home alone because it assisted me to get food and water and get to the bathroom.
My neighbors provided me with a wheelchair so I could attend my daughter’s numerous sporting and school events. This was important to me. Without it, attending milestone events would have been difficult.
The accident happened with a wedding approaching. My church family stepped up and shopped for wedding food, prepared wedding food and cakes, and coordinated serving and cleanup. They blessed me and my whole family. I stayed involved with them as my hands and feet.
Also during this time, my children and church family brought in food for a while. My parents weeded the garden my husband planted until I could do it without crutches. People visited. Superheroes in disguise, wouldn’t you agree?
The Struggles Story
Last but not least, in recent years I struggle with sadness. My Uncle Bill lives 1,400 miles away, but he emails encouragement and sends articles and videos that show he cares. That means a lot.
Readers of my blog reach out with messages or leave comments. These mean a great deal to me, as well.
Superheroes care, help, and go out of their way to let us know we matter. Walking through life with us, mild-mannered, quiet, yet watching, live our superheroes.
We envision unpredictable life one way, but it turns out another. God never leaves us alone. He knows what we need and sends it at just the right time. This help keeps us moving forward. Superheroes come along and grab us by the arms and lift us up when we get stuck.
I’m thankful for God placing these superheroes in my life and in the lives of those I love. In fact, I love these superheroes, and I hope they know what a huge difference they make.
God bless you all. Go out and be a superhero today. Let me know in the comments about some of your superheroes. Thanks for reading my blog!
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4 Replies to “Superheroes in our midst”
I love your reminder that true superheroes are the “ordinary” people in our lives!
Thank you, Gretchen! Every act of kindness makes the world a better place. 🙂
Michelle,
Thank you once again for your gifts and sharing a glimpse into the heros around us.
I think the real gift is the ability to recognize, and appreciate, the good gifts around us.
It reminds me of the story in 2 Kings where Elisha told his servant not to worry about the battle, because “those who are with us are more than those who are against us”. Then Elisha prayed, and his servants’ eyes were opened to see the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
It’s a gift to be able to see the support and “hero’s” among us.
In our over-busy, over-burdened daily routines most people are only able to focus on themselves and their problems. It’s a gift to be able to see the rose at the top of the thorns : )
Thank you, Anne, for sharing. That is a wonderful story about Elisha and a good reminder for us to not worry because the Lord will handle it if we just rest in Him. You are a wonderful encourager. 🙂 I hope you are blessed with all the heroes you in encounter today.