True Heroism

Let me start off with a summary quote of John Milton’s view of heroism…”True heroism is patience and humility in the face of suffering…”

“…we traveled again to Rwanda, where we stopped at a school for teenagers. Some were orphans who had lost a parent to AIDS or to genocide. As we left the school, we saw a group of teenagers waiting outside to greet us. One had a sign, ‘God is Good.’ George nodded and said, ‘God IS good.’ And these teenage children replied, in unison, ‘All the time.’ To suffer as the have suffered with genocide, disease, and poverty, and to still believe ‘God is good. All the time’!” – Laura Bush, Spoken From the Heart…

This just struck me…For years, we have said the same thing from our churches in America, with our own personal struggles. There are some of us who have been through devestating losses and trials who say this in agreement. There are some that face things that are on not so grand a level in perspective to the rest of the world, but they are large challenges on a personal level and they matter to God as well. How amazing that these children who have been through so much more than many of us ever will can still say that God is good all the time. He truly is. And He is receiving glory as they consider their trials pure joy, because they know that the testing of their faith develops perseverance. And perseverance must finish its work so that they may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1)It’s beautiful to hear the testimony of our wonderful God through broken spirits, like Job, saying, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15 Even in our darkest hours, God is still good and has a wonderful plan. His plan is far bigger than ourselves, yet His eye is on the sparrow and even more so, it is on us.I have many more thoughts on the struggles and blessings of suffering, but these are just a few that I thought I’d share tonight. I am entirely grateful to Mrs. Bush for including this story in her book. I hope that the heroic testimony of these beautiful African Children blesses you as it blesses me. God IS good. All the time.

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