Everyone feels convicted to do something every now and then. To be honest, lately, I’ve been ignoring a great many of them. This isn’t me! I think. This can’t be! When have I ever not done something I’ve felt convicted to do? Alas, the answer is: All the time. When it comes to my life, I can procrastinate more than should be humanly possible! I’m a PROcrastinator (Get it?). However, just because I wait until the day before Christmas to clean my junk yard of a room (Not this year! Hopefully.) does not mean that I procrastinate when it comes to my faith. If I feel the urge to read my Bible, I will do so, even if I open it just to look at one randomly-picked verse. That is why I am so disappointed in myself lately.
I planned on reading Deuteronomy a couple months ago, one chapter a day. I could handle that. Then- POOF- I forgot. For probably a month and a half, or so, I’ve stalked myself up on all of the books in the house I felt I would like to read (Aside from a few missing ones), I had about fifty. A couple days ago, I came across the first few I had meant to read.
How could I forget? I forget silly things, like that I’m lactose intolerant (I outgrew it a couple years ago), or where I placed my iPod. I forget important things, like that fact that I’m going away for the weekend to watch my mom run a marathon. I forget what my name is for a few seconds sometimes! But I almost never forget things that pertain to my faith. I’m almost seething at myself for doing such a thing.
I was cleaning my room of all things when I stumbled (Quite literally) into my closet. I dumped the shirts into a pile, and as I left the walk-in closet, I noticed a book I hadn’t remembered sorting through. Now, I know you’re thinking, How is that monumental? You forgot your name, insipid person! This matters to me. I spent a good hour at the least pouring over those books, deciding which was deemed mandatory reading. I have a good memory for odd things.
I glimpsed the title and it stopped me in my tracks: True Heroism in a World of Celebrity Counterfeits by Dick Keyes. I still have no idea why, but I felt convicted to move it to the top of my Must Read Immediately book stack on my bed.
I’m still trying to figure out how it figures into my life. I’m not a parent, nor am I obsessed with the famous. So until I read it, I will just talk about the truth in the title.
I went Christmas shopping yesterday. In a kid’s toy store, I saw multitudes of inappropriately dressed (and physically impossible) Barbie’s, Justin Bieber, and other teenage “heroes.” In many other stores I saw the Twilight “heroes.” One the radio on the ride home, I heard all about political “heroes.” (As a side note, my sister and I spent a good portion of our time seeking out these so called “heroes” and covered them with more… true heroes, and pajamas.) Apparently, it doesn’t take much to qualify as a hero. For the most part, I was disappointed with what I saw.
How did my parent’s generation create such horrible heroes? When I was young, I practically idolized the characters from The Lion King and Pippy Longstocking. I loved Big Bird. Now kids adore anything pop culture feeds them and have expectations that their life should resemble that of their idol Hannah Montana.
Why can’t pop culture teach good morals and publicize the work of unknown heroes (Of course I mean true heroes, but most of them are unknown.)? I just think that people should be more aware of who/what they deem their “hero.” If people were kept well-informed, they would probably reconsider getting their daughter a book series about a girl who doesn’t know which guy she loves, sees no reason to get upset over being stalked, and then decides (foolishly) to live forever on earth. “Someday you will read in the papers that Moody is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I was born of the flesh in 1837; I was born of the spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit shall live forever.” -Dwight L. Moody
I have no witty words or sudden conclusion. I only want to say this; pray that my forgetfulness vanishes and is replaced with heavenly wisdom and a lack of procrastination. Pray that I get something lasting from this book I feel compelled to read. Pray that these people around you will find a hero in someone who deserves the attention.
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” -Arthur Ashe
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