Unsung Heros

I have been in quite a mind battle for the last two months. Feeling so many emotions and trying to discern their origin. Were these thoughts from the enemy, my flesh or was God trying to tell me something? I am just going to be real and say that one of the battles has been in the financing of what we feel called to do in ministry.  I realized that most, not all, of the ministers we have supported through the years live what we call in Mississippi  "high on the hog" or certainly better than we do.  They have bigger homes, nicer cars, clothes etc than we have ever had and yet we have supported their ministries.  Meanwhile, we have to sacrifice to support what we feel called to do.  This was one of many battles and it really made me evaluate my motives for giving. 

In the midst of this, hurricane Irene hit North Carolina and traveled up the eastern coastline.  We quickly responded to the need and deployed with Samaritan's purse to New Bern, NC.  I must say that I did not expect what I found with this deployment.

I found many Christian volunteers from all walks of life and all parts of the country who sacrificed time with family, vacation, their own money and convenience to come and help the victims of this storm. Some traveled long distances and put their health at risk. These same people did not come for the glamour, fame or financial gain.  They were virtually unknown except in their little circle.  Many had heartaches of their own and yet they served with a smile and I heard very little complaining. I believe the Lord told me that they are "unsung heroes"

An Unsung hero is defined as a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution; a person whose bravery is unknown or unacknowledged.  Someone who doesn't get the praise or recognition that he or she deserves.

As I pondered that, I got a text from my dear friend, Frances. She said in that text "Our Lord has recorded heroes in the faith who were workers, helpers, rescuers in disasters. Even as they experienced disasters or lack themselves, they are heros of the faith".

James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

There was a hero who had polio as a child and fingers missing from one hand and yet worked in the heat many days to put feet to his faith. A number of women who traveled many miles alone and worked as hard as any man. Another was a young lady from Ohio who crawled under a house after being warned of three different kinds of snakes to pull the flooded ductwork out. One hero came dispite her own fight with cancer and her famiy's severe health issues and cried in my arms the day she left. There were some who were grieving over the death of their loved ones and yet came to comfort others. There were several who had lost their job and had not found one to replace it so they came for many weeks to work for the Lord. There was a gentleman who put off the preparation for a ministry trip to Africa where he was called in order to come cut fallen trees. The list is endless.

I soon realized that all those thoughts about finances was a test of my heart. I did not do so well at first on this test. But after standing in the midst of my dear brothers and sisters who are unsung heroes, I realized we were the blessed ones. We had treasures that would not be tainted or corrupted by this world. We started out as strangers and we came away from there feeling we had left family. The Lord has a large army of unknowns who live under the radar but are a powerful force and my brothers and sisters and his friends.

James 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

Mark 6:7-13 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.