Hugs for Heroes Stories, Sayings, And Scriptures to Encourage And Inspire

What are heroes thinking when they bravely risk all forsomeone in danger? They're thinking of the grave risk the person faces if theydon't act. What are heroes not thinking when they perform that heroic deed? Thepossible risk to themselves.That's not to say heroes act without awareness. It's just that in the minds ofheroes, the possible risk to themselves doesn't measure up to the certain direconsequences for someone else if they don't act.Not every risk heroes accept is monumental or life-threatening. Not everyone whorisks is recognized as a hero, but they are. Risking a job to defend theunpopular truth, risking our vision of the future to accommodate the needs of asick family member, risking our reputation by admitting a mistake someone elsewas blamed for -- these are the risks that mark the lives of everyday heroes.What difficult decision are you facing today? What would you risk by doing theright thing? Race of a Lifetime Amy soaked up the late August sun as she sat atop herlifeguard post at the small public beach. The surf was up, and a solitary surferworked the waves. Local schools were back in session, so most late-afternoonsurfers wouldn't arrive for another hour. She breathed deeply, enjoying thesoothing sounds of the ocean and the warm breeze. Lifeguarding was the ideal job for Amy, who dreamed ofbecoming a champion swimmer. Her schedule at the beach worked well with hertraining regimen, and the additional on-duty time in the water helped build herstrength and stamina. As she casually watched the surfer, Amy daydreamed about her next meet andenvisioned herself being the first to cross the finish line. She opened hercooler filled with ice and bottled water and pulled out a cold drink to quenchher thirst. Amy took a long, slow gulp, savoring the refreshment, and wipedperspiration from her face with the corner of her beach towel. Scanning the surf again, Amy became uneasy and shifted in her seat, strainingfor a clearer view. She saw the surfer's board but no longer saw the young man."Where is he?" she said aloud as she reached nervously for her binoculars.Searching the water around the empty board, Amy saw nothing but waves. She jumped up, grabbing the buoy rope and slinging it over her shoulder, and raninto the surf. She swam with long, powerful strokes toward the bobbingsurfboard. When she reached her destination, she located the ankle rope and dovedown, hoping to find the surfer still linked to his board.Suddenly something in the murky surf bumped hard into her. As Amy spun around,horror flooded her right to the bone. The gray object that had hit her was ashark fin. As split seconds took on the feeling of time in slow motion, Amy sawthe form of a teenaged boy just feet in front of her -- and in the jaws of theshark. Amy surged to the surface, gasping for air. Then something took over. She gulpeddown as big a reserve of air as her lungs could hold and dove back toward theshark with ferocity. Terrified but determined to rescue the young man, Amygathered all the force she could muster and delivered one powerful kick to theshark's snout. Surprised more than hurt, the shark opened its mouth just long enough for Amy tosnatch the surfer and lunge frantically back toward the surface. She draped theboy's body over the buoy and swam furiously toward the shore. With every kick stroke, Amy mentally braced herself for an attack from behindand fought off panic. She expected razor-sharp teeth to clamp down on her legs,sending shockwaves of searing pain through her body, at any second. Desperation drove her to swim harder than she ever had in thKeefauver, Larry is the author of 'Hugs for Heroes Stories, Sayings, And Scriptures to Encourage And Inspire' with ISBN 9781416533337 and ISBN 1416533338.