fresh flowers of August 25

My Hero
copyright 2007, lani wiens
a fresh flowers original

Ever have one of those days where you wish a superhero would come and rescue you? Either that or you could turn into a superhero - personally I would want to be Elasti-girl, she rocks! I love movies where there's a really great hero. Perhaps that's why I enjoy LOTR - there isn't just one hero, there are many. I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like a great good winning over evil tale.

Over the last few weeks I keep hearing that old song, "Holding Out for a Hero", apparently it made a comeback from the eighties thanks to Shrek2 and my kids have been listening to it on YouTube. I couldn't remember all the words so I looked them up on the internet. You may be wondering how I could possibly find a flower in an old song from the eighties, hang with me it will all become clear. Read the lyrics...

Holding Out for a Hero
(Bonnie Tyler)

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise HerculesTo fight the rising odds?
Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

I need a hero
I'm holding out for at hero 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero 'till the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life
Larger than life

Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There’s someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

Repeat Chorus

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear there is someone somewhereWatching me
Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approachLike a fire in my blood

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero
'till the morning lightHe's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
I need a hero

Don't we all feel this way at one time or another. Whoever wrote this song seemed to be on the verge of grasping something significant. There is someone reaching out for us, there is someone watching us, there is a hero coming to sweep us off our feet. Our wildest fantasty does not even come close to what is currently going on the heavenly realm and what will one day be reality. Check out a few of these scriptures. The first one from Colossians is what got me going on this train of thought as we had our devotions together this morning.

Colossians 1:13 - 14 "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (NIV)

The Message says it this way, "God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating."

Doesn't that sound like a hero to you? Coming in the nick of time, saving you from certain death! Jesus Christ fits the hero described in that song rather well wouldn't you say. You can't get much larger than life than Jesus, but just to make sure he's the guy - he's larger than death, too.

Is he fresh from the fight? I believe He is always interceding for us, surrounding us behind and before. Isaiah 52:12 says, "...for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard." He is there with us in the midst of the turmoil.

If that doesn't get your spine tingling, listen to this description of Jesus from Revelation 19. "I saw heaven stading open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one but himself knows. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the namtions, "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

That's some hero, wouldn't you say? This is such a different picture of Jesus than the mild-mannered, children on his lap guy that we show to all the sunday school kids. I'm glad we have that picture of him, but on days like today I'm glad that I have a hero that is larger than life who is on his way the second I turn my desperate plea to his ear. He fights for me! He sings over me! He will go to war for me! How exciting is that? Jesus is the ultimate hero of all time.