Three years ago tonight I felt the pleasure of the Father’s heart concerning unsung heroes among us. My heart was deeply touched. I penned the following.
These obscure ones are those that labor in love, without griping or fanfare. In humility they serve to serve others—not with an agenda.
They simply long to let Christ be Christ through them to a lost and dying world. The shoulder of Christ to a sobbing widow. The arms of Christ to an abandoned orphan. The feet of Christ to the struggling amputee. The ears of Christ to the lonely elderly. The breast of Christ to the faint of heart. The hand of Christ to the inebriated homeless.
What you touch, He touches. And what He touches is the kiss of heaven upon the earth.
I’m grateful to have rubbed shoulders with a few of these unsung heroes. Their selflessness exposes my selfishness. Their love confronts my hypocrisy. Their courage calls me out of my complacency. And for that I’m eternally grateful.
Such unsung heroes in my book include a few I want to mention: Tom Corcoran (cultivating friendship with the homeless throughout the DC region); the Dienner family in Houston (adoption of teenage Ukrainian orphan into a thriving family); KD (Director of Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Initiative); Barbara Bucklin (pioneering deliverance ministry; working to reach the homeless in Austin, Texas); Paula (works with YWAM overseas to reach children in prisons); among many, many others.
One other couple that I want to highlight is Dale and Sue Hewitt whom I have known since ’04. They are graduates of Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. Dale is the Congregational Care Pastor at Grace Church of Fredericksburg.
Whatever station in life they find themselves in, they choose to serve however needed. Interestingly they both met serving on the missions field in Haiti. Although Dale is notoriously known for his sense of humor, there’s one thing that they are both known for: they choose to love well. A few years ago they did the unthinkable (at least to others who did not know them well). They decided to adopt two sisters in the foster care system. This came at an age when their peers were kicking back to enjoy the grandchildren as they coasted towards retirement. Not Dale and Sue. They choose to love. Sometimes love leads us to do what others deem as the unthinkable.
I’m grateful to have rubbed shoulders with such unsung heroes. Their example has touched so many lives.
Who are the unsung heroes in your book? Let’s honor these precious ones among us. Leave a comment below on this blog post to share your unsung hero. Or go to my Facebook post to tag them on the thread with a description of why their lives inspire you (and others). Whatever you do, express your appreciation today to these unsung heroes who serve with love the least of these in our communities.
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