Every Day Heroes

 Well, it’s been quite a weekend around here.  Good friends and brother-in-law to our daughter Nicki got married “again”…… to each other.  Last year about this time, in a small outback town, they stood in a church in front of a minister and no one else except for parents while they tied the knot. The whole country was in Covid lockdown, so all we could do was tune in on Zoom and wish we were there. At least their friends in town were able to swing by the church for a “drive by rice-ing”, but otherwise it was a pretty lonely affair.  Now, a year later, restrictions have eased, and we thoroughly enjoyed ‘Wedding: Take Two’. Tony even got to officiate this time, so he was quite pleased!  

 

Then, seeing as how lots of relatives had come to town for the event, we threw a Baby shower the next day for Nicki. Such fun.  

 

On the “heroes” theme this week, I wasn’t able to think too lofty, but as I hurried from kitchen to hair, to vacuum cleaner, I remarked to myself that we’re ALL surrounded by so many heroes in our lives.  Maybe you’d call them ‘Everyday heroes”.  

 

Case in point: we had a friend in 1991 back in San Francisco.  I remember the time well because that was the terrible year when Tony’s Mom had a heart attack and proceeded to drop into a five-month coma, leaving us wondering if she’d ever wake up. She did, by the way, but that’s another story. 

 

It was our year of “Stateside Assignment” from the mission, so Tony was teaching at Golden Gate Seminary. Our church had a weekly Bible study, and we always enjoyed the interesting people who attended. One of the guys was very quiet, usually sat over in the corner, and went by the name of Marcus Uzilevsky. Little by little, we learned his story, and what an amazing story it was!  Back in the 60’s, he was a lead singer for the New Christy Minstrels (If you’re in our generation, you’d know them immediately. If not, look them up), and even wrote and sang with Bob Dylan. 

 

Our time in San Francisco was almost over. The last night of our Bible Study, we were sharing thoughts, and (believe it or not) I was too shy to say how I felt and how my heart was pouring over because of their love for us, and the thankfulness we felt because we thought that we were back on track with our lives.  

 

I sat there mute, and then Marcus picked up his guitar and sang out a song he had written, (and we knew) from Psalms 30:11.  I couldn’t stop crying.  I’d sing it for you at this moment, but I have neither the voice nor the technology. 

 

Here are some of the words he sang:

 

Arise ye people of the Ancient of Days

In Christ forever we will sing

For God is love and love is here to stay

The chimes of Heaven ring

 

And you have turned my mourning into dancing

You’ve taken away my sadness

From glory to glory, singin praises unto you

For you have covered me, with gladness

 

Again and again, over the next year, our world really did fall apart, between my mother-in-law’s heart attack, my dad’s failing health and to top it all off, our son’s eight-month losing battle with leukemia. Everywhere we went, it seemed, from hospital rooms to cheap motels, even in a government agency office where we were trying to put together our daughter’s adoption (the one, by the way, who as we speak is having a baby shower in our house), we’d run into Marcus’s paintings. Besides singing, he had discovered a passion for art, and you can find it today in just about every art shop in the country. Each encounter surprised us, but we could laugh and say that God hadn’t forgotten us and the influence this man had on our lives.  

 

When you Google his name, you’ll see that he passed away in 2005.  We had contacted him a few times in the ensuing years and he was always happy to talk about the great things God was doing in his life, even though, as always, he seemed to be quite humble and in wonder of it all.  

 

We all influence each other.  Can you think of someone who may not even know what a blessing they’ve been to you?  Have you told them?  I’d love to hear your “Hero” stories. 


Hang on to your hats and realize that you ARE somebody’s hero!  Marsha


   


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