Hero or Zero?
It was a beautiful Saturday morning, bright sunshine and clear crisp air enveloping us as we made our way west. Our trip from Winnipeg Manitoba to Edmonton Alberta was prompted by the need to have our daughter visit a specialist there. As a busy mom I was just happy for the change of scenery and a chance for family bonding which I was sure would be accomplished by enforced ‘togetherness’!
Now we were a few hours into the drive and frustration was beginning to set in; oh the kids were doing well in the back seat and no fights had broken out, but we kept making what I saw as silly, unnecessary stops. Such time wasters! It wasn’t until later in the day that we realized for things to work out as they did timing was everything!
Being September 25, the air was on the cool side but nice enough for a picnic. We had planned on taking a little side trip to Souris, a town in Manitoba known for its swinging bridge across the river. There we planned on stopping in the park for a picnic lunch before attempting the bridge.
We had just taken our seats and were ready to enjoy the rest of our day when we saw a tiny girl running toward our table. She stopped and between her panting for breath we were able to get the message that her little brother had fallen in the river and he couldn’t swim.
We immediately jumped into action; my husband, Larry Heppner, took off for the river, I took the car and went to the nearest store to call for 911 and our girls were instructed to stay put and pray!
Eventually the ambulance and police arrived; by which time Larry had already dove into the ice cold water three times. After the second try he was standing on the dock and trying to assess as to whether he had the stamina needed to make another attempt. By this time the child had been in the river for at least twenty minutes. As he was mentally debating whether to try again or walk away, he heard the voice of an older child say urgently, ‘Try one more time!’ We found later that an eleven year old boy was standing at the edge of the woods and had witnessed the whole thing. As for my husband, he said that was all the encouragement he needed. As a result of that little prompt, he did try again and when the emergency team arrived he had the little boy on the dock and had begun administering CPR!
The little face began to pink up as water spewed from his mouth.
Here the medical personnel took over and in a few minutes the boy was on his way to the hospital. It was now that shock set in for Larry as his entire body began to shake uncontrollably. The police, still at the scene insisted he get checked out in the hospital so they took him and I followed with my girls in our car. I began to realize how easily we could have lost him to hypothermia or any number of related complications.
After some time we were on our way again, thanking God for sparing the life of a dear little boy and saving our husband and daddy from harm! Oh yes, and the timing? As it was we were the only people brave enough to face the chill in the air and have a picnic on a crisp sunny day near the end of September. Were it not for all the ‘unnecessary’ stops we would not have been there at the right time to be involved and how blessed we felt that God would use us to save a life!
We continued to marvel at the goodness and faithfulness of our loving Heavenly Father! That day twenty five years ago, my husband was branded as a hero by one little boy and his family, and some time later one of our daughters wrote a school report titled ‘My Dad my Hero’. Larry only did what he knew he had to do, just like many of you. We won’t all be called on to rescue a drowning child, but we are all called to be a hero and fill a particular need in someone’s life. Maybe the need is a word of encouragement to the one who is closer to a given situation, but in any case we are all called and someone needs us to get involved.
What about you? Do you know someone that needs you to be their hero? Will you say yes or run the other way because you don’t want to get involved? Will you be a hero or a zero?
I know I want to be one who helps and encourages anyone I meet on the way to the party!
Now we were a few hours into the drive and frustration was beginning to set in; oh the kids were doing well in the back seat and no fights had broken out, but we kept making what I saw as silly, unnecessary stops. Such time wasters! It wasn’t until later in the day that we realized for things to work out as they did timing was everything!
Being September 25, the air was on the cool side but nice enough for a picnic. We had planned on taking a little side trip to Souris, a town in Manitoba known for its swinging bridge across the river. There we planned on stopping in the park for a picnic lunch before attempting the bridge.
We had just taken our seats and were ready to enjoy the rest of our day when we saw a tiny girl running toward our table. She stopped and between her panting for breath we were able to get the message that her little brother had fallen in the river and he couldn’t swim.
We immediately jumped into action; my husband, Larry Heppner, took off for the river, I took the car and went to the nearest store to call for 911 and our girls were instructed to stay put and pray!
Eventually the ambulance and police arrived; by which time Larry had already dove into the ice cold water three times. After the second try he was standing on the dock and trying to assess as to whether he had the stamina needed to make another attempt. By this time the child had been in the river for at least twenty minutes. As he was mentally debating whether to try again or walk away, he heard the voice of an older child say urgently, ‘Try one more time!’ We found later that an eleven year old boy was standing at the edge of the woods and had witnessed the whole thing. As for my husband, he said that was all the encouragement he needed. As a result of that little prompt, he did try again and when the emergency team arrived he had the little boy on the dock and had begun administering CPR!
The little face began to pink up as water spewed from his mouth.
Here the medical personnel took over and in a few minutes the boy was on his way to the hospital. It was now that shock set in for Larry as his entire body began to shake uncontrollably. The police, still at the scene insisted he get checked out in the hospital so they took him and I followed with my girls in our car. I began to realize how easily we could have lost him to hypothermia or any number of related complications.
After some time we were on our way again, thanking God for sparing the life of a dear little boy and saving our husband and daddy from harm! Oh yes, and the timing? As it was we were the only people brave enough to face the chill in the air and have a picnic on a crisp sunny day near the end of September. Were it not for all the ‘unnecessary’ stops we would not have been there at the right time to be involved and how blessed we felt that God would use us to save a life!
We continued to marvel at the goodness and faithfulness of our loving Heavenly Father! That day twenty five years ago, my husband was branded as a hero by one little boy and his family, and some time later one of our daughters wrote a school report titled ‘My Dad my Hero’. Larry only did what he knew he had to do, just like many of you. We won’t all be called on to rescue a drowning child, but we are all called to be a hero and fill a particular need in someone’s life. Maybe the need is a word of encouragement to the one who is closer to a given situation, but in any case we are all called and someone needs us to get involved.
What about you? Do you know someone that needs you to be their hero? Will you say yes or run the other way because you don’t want to get involved? Will you be a hero or a zero?
I know I want to be one who helps and encourages anyone I meet on the way to the party!
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