The Real Heroes

As missionaries, my husband and I are sometimes viewed as "extra special" by others. I'm writing this post to clear that up :)

I am human. Flesh and blood just like you.

I fail.

I cry.

I beg God to change me in the wee hours of the morning sometimes when there's no one awake but me and Him.

I'm scared of cockroaches and spiders.

I struggle with feeling inadequate.

Is my life different than yours? Maybe a little. But let me assure you, the only thing "extra special" about me is the AWESOME Lord I serve and the place He's asked me to serve Him.

I'm also writing this to tell you who the real heroes are ...

...

...

Our families back home.

See, we are "in the action." We know what's going on. We know if we're safe at night. We know if we're sick or healthy.

Our families don't always know that.

They are the ones who pray for us faithfully, listen to our crazy stories, clean our house when we have to leave in a hurry, check our mail, mow our lawn, buy our groceries, keep us updated on what's going on in the US, and give freely of their money, time, and heart to make sure their loved ones are taken care of. They have to wrestle with God to help them not to worry that their babies are in a dangerous, foreign land. They have to deal with having their heart on two continents.

So to my family back home, Mom, Dad, Curtie, Mary, John, John Jr., Becky, Alyssa, Shayla, Grandma and Grandpa, Maw-Maw and Jr, and everyone else who falls into the "family" category, thank you. Thank you for being the unseen heroes in all of this. We couldn't do it without you.

Thank you for the welcome home dinners, for disrupting your schedule to fit with ours, for celebrating Christmas in November, for talking on the phone to us at crazy hours when we don't remember the time difference, for holding yard sales, buying mosquito nets, Don't Bite Me patches, and bug spray. Thank you for praying with us, weeping with us, and loving Africa with us, all in the name of Jesus.

For those of you who read this post, I'm asking you, if you know our family, thank them for giving us up so that people in another land can hear of Jesus' unfailing love. Thank them earnestly. ( Hug them for me too, would you? )

And when you pray for us, please pray for them too. Pray for emotional strength, that their hearts won't break quite so much, and that God will send comfort when their minds race with worry.

I think there will be a lot of rewards in Heaven for unseen heroes.

I certainly hope so.

"For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."   Mark 9:41