10. Heroes

ONE DAY AT A TIME
Meditations for Carers
10. Heroes
Joshua 1.9

Remember Superman? And the actor who played Superman, the late Christopher Reeve? After he was paralysed, he is reported as saying: ‘When the first Superman movie came out, I was frequently asked, “What is a hero?” My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences – a soldier who crawls out of a foxhole to drag an injured buddy to
safety. I also meant people who are slightly larger than life: Houdini and Lindbergh, John Wayne, JFK and Joe DiMaggio. Now my answer is completely different. I think of a hero as an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.’

As carers, we need that strength to persevere and endure. We need to be heroes dealing with overwhelming obstacles. But not in our own strength. That’s the way to burnout. The good news is that we don’t need to rely on ourselves. Our Heavenly Father longs for us to rely on him for everything we need, whether it’s strength, compassion, courage, patience . . .

Taken from One Day at a Time: Meditations for Carers by Dorothy M.Stewart
Published by SPCK