I Need A Hero!

**Photography by Melissa Talbot**

Found this amazing creature entangled in barbed wire yesterday. After much effort, he/she was freed but not without sustaining permanent damage to its right leg. It's currently grounded on my lawn but I pray it musters enough strength to take flight and reach a safer place.

Like this red-tailed hawk, sometimes we need to be rescued. We find ourselves in unexpected predicaments that cause us to cry out, "I need a hero!" Someone that will come along to take over and give us rest from our anxieties.

In my singleness, I have had times of anxiety and worry in having to deal with and take care of all the things that will happen in life. Like having my transmission die while driving on a country road, getting a flat tire, or troubleshooting a frozen septic tank.

I'm not fully versed in all the backwoods issues having to do with cars or houses but with the help of heroes that have come along my path, the rescue has been gratefully accepted and abundantly appreciated.

It would be very easy for me to hand all of my life's hiccups over to someone else to navigate. I would be completely content with that...or would I? This is something I have often pondered and wrestled with as a single woman.

To have someone come alongside and take charge is reassuring and comforting because life can throw you some curveballs. The fact that I have muddled through the curves to the best of my ability does not dispell the fact that it was with extreme frustration and stress that I muddled.

However, if I have someone to look after the bigger things that cause me grief, that means I am now having to depend on that help for, possibly, lesser things, doesn't it? That scares me and I'm not sure why. As you all know, I have a great desire to be married. No, it's not so that there is someone who will ride in on his 'white horse' and take all my problems away, albeit nice.

It really is about journeying through life with a man having the same core values and beliefs that I have strong convictions for. It is about sharing the same goals and life direction while meeting and overcoming the 'hiccups' that life will bring, together. It's about rescuing each other when there's hurt, sorrow, or confusion.

So, until my husband gets the memo, I'm learning to lean into and depend completely on God as part of my ongoing relationship with Him. While He may not be here in the flesh, He does tend to show up in other people who come to my rescue. Other times, He has given me the wisdom and strength to find and implement solutions for unexpected problems. He is incredibly faithful and good.

I have learned a lot about life and myself in this season of singleness. There have been situations that I have come up against that seemed impossible to overcome but a solution always presented itself and the rescue, a success. There are everyday heroes in our midst, some being surprising and refreshing.

Jesus was such a man. An unsung hero without any presumption of being a hero. He rescued people who didn't even know they needed saving. The refreshing nature of His unsuspecting appearance and gentle demeanor caused even the strongest to crumble and cry out, "I need a hero!" He, quickly and powerfully, became everything the flailing swimmer needed in a lifeguard, pulling them to safety and freeing them from their anxieties.

That's the kind of hero that stands the test of time. One who is always on call and never sleeps until the difficulty passes and the one in need of saving is rescued. Inclement weather, hostile advances, and a plethora of unexpected surprises don't phase or stop them.

It's great to be rescued but it's also great to be a rescuer and while I may not have cheated death in order to help save the red-tailed hawk yesterday, it still felt good to be its hero. To speak words of reassurance while handling it gently and then caring for it today by checking on and feeding it. At the end of the day, no matter what walk or species of life, we could all use a hero from time to time.

Encouragement for the week:

Have you ever been in a situation where you were desperate to be rescued? What shape did your hero take on?

Life happens to all of us and it's reassuring to have some help when the going gets tough. It takes some of the pressure off our minds and hearts and gives us the peace required to navigate the emergency, calmly.

If you are a Christian, you know that you have the greatest hero in Jesus, for His promise to help you when you are in danger is real and true.

If you are not a Christian, look for Jesus and you will find a great hero in Him and know the safety and relief that comes from having Him as your rescuer.