"Hero"

Lately, some of the people in my life have been telling me, "Tirzah, you're my hero!" I think some of them have been playing around, but some of them really mean what they say.

In this post, I would like to bust your "hero" paradigm a little bit. As they say in The Princess Bride, you keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

"...though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." (Hebrews 5:8, talking about Jesus)

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

Of course, Jesus is my Hero. Conqueror of sin and death? The Son of God whose Name is above every name? The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? The Alpha and Omega? The Beginning and the End? The One who was and is and is to come? The Firstborn of all creation? The One who rides on a white horse and who is Faithful and True? Heck yes, He's my Hero.

And I have other heroes, too: Freddie Mercury (musical-genius legend), Dennis Jernigan (overcomer who just lets it all hang out), and Sarah Palin (all she talks about is politics, which is a subject that I avoid like the plague now, but she's the only woman on my list).

I used to worship heroes. That was a bad thing. A few years ago when God was putting the finishing touches on my freedom from codependence, He showed me that a huge part of my codependence (leeching off other people) was hero worship. So, of course, He had to bend my focus back to Him, so that I could worship Him instead, because He is the Ultimate Hero.

One dangerous thing about being somebody's hero is that people tend to put all kinds of ridiculous expectations on heroes. Then they see how imperfect their heroes are, and it's a bit disappointing. For instance, Freddie Mercury wasn't perfect, because his hedonism led to his ultimate demise. Dennis Jernigan isn't perfect, because, in my opinion, some of his songs are kinda cheesy. Sarah Palin isn't perfect, because have I mentioned that all she talks about is politics -- maybe I should change the subject. Have I told you lately how much I love my cats?

Sometimes when people get too close to their heroes, they see how imperfect they are, and then they take it upon themselves to try to change them. Heh. Good luck with that one. It's a long way to fall from the pedestal. Nobody likes unsolicited criticism on a microscopic level.

For instance, somebody told me one time (after I made a decision that they strongly disapproved of), "I thought you were a strong Christian." So sorry to disappoint you, but kindly redirect your guilt trips elsewhere.

I think Jesus knew what this was like. He went from being everybody's Hero to being everybody's punching bag. When He performed miracles, I think they cheered. When He hung on the cross, I think they jeered.

I hope you don't treat heroes that way, too.

You know who else is my hero? King David.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth -- praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.

...

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me!

...

But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God." (Psalm 40:1-3, 13, 17)

Usually when people quote Psalm 40, they don't make it past the first three verses. They usually talk about that famous "You pulled me out of the pit" part, and then they stop. Like that's the end of the story.

No way. That's just the beginning.

In this song that starts out so triumphantly, David is this big hero at the beginning. But by the end of the song, he's like a needy little 5-year-old going, "Daddy help me, please! Hurry!" Wow. What happened?

I don't know, and I probably don't need to know. But here's why David is my hero: He isn't perfect. He just clung to the One who is.

When people see testimonies, they don't see the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the victory. (Unless, of course, they walked very closely alongside you while your victory was happening, and they saw you through it.) They just see the polished finished product. They don't see the struggles that await you after they attend your hero-coronation ceremony and they go their merry way.

They don't see you crying out to your Daddy like a needy little 5-year-old when nobody else is around to hold your hand but Him.

I need my Daddy. I'm weak, and He's strong. He's strong enough to carry me. So, I'm going to climb onto His strong back and let Him whisk me away with Him. I need Him. I want Him. If He doesn't come through for me, that's it. I don't have a plan B.

And I'm OK with that.

"If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul..." (Psalm 124:2-4)

OK, so maybe I am a hero. A lot of us are heroes. But let me show you how I see myself.

I'm like those lunatic specialist exterminators who get called out of hiding somewhere in the middle of some movies when the monsters get too big for the main protagonists to destroy. I'm kinda like that wacko from The Muppet Movie who specializes in killing frogs. (That's a myth! Myth! Yeth?)

I'm like those troubled, hiding-out heroes in denial that pop up in movie plots from time to time, kinda like Ted Striker in Airplane! (Surely I've seen that movie. I have, and don't call me Shirley.) He's minding his own business, and then he takes a major detour in which he ends up on a plane, even though he has traumatic experiences related to planes in his past. Then suddenly he ends up being the only person on the plane who can fly it, despite his drinking problem (Sploosh!). So, he has to overcome his issues and save the day. Yep, that's me.

I'm totally like King David, who will sing, sing a new song, how long? to sing this song? in one verse, and then in the next verse, he's a 5-year-old who needs his Daddy.

And I want to be like Jesus.

"And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.' He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.' " (Matthew 26:37-39)

"And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44)

Heck yes, that's my kind of Hero. Even Jesus was freaking out when He was going through the roughest time of His life. Even Jesus knew He needed His Daddy. Even Jesus, the Ultimate Hero, was deeply in touch with His need, and He knew that God would meet that need for Him.

So, as I said before, a lot of us are heroes. That doesn't mean that we're perfect. That just means that we can point to the One who is.