We rightly use the term hero for soldiers, police officers, fire fighters and other first responders. Those men and women deserve the title. Some call those whose faces adorn celebrity magazines or perform in athletic venues their heroes. But my heroes are not famous or powerful. This definition fits my heroes.

A person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.

That describes two of my heroes. On November 24th Harry Word passed from this life to spend eternity with the Lord. Just the day before Jake Washburn received a second chance at life with a double lung transplant in Phoenix.

Let me share why these two men are my heroes.

Harry Word was a faithful and caring presence at my home church, Waterbrook Bible Fellowship. I told him just a few weeks ago that he was my hero because he wanted to be in church no matter how much pain he was feeling or how difficult the task might be to get there. Whenever I woke up feeling tired or out of sorts I would think of Harry dragging his aching body willingly to church and then I would get ready to go. If Harry could get there I certainly could as well. When I got to church I would often see Harry slowly making his way to his front row seat to soak in the music and message with a smile of contented joy on his face.

He always had a word of encouragement and a promise to pray for you.

When Harry passed away the comments were revealing.

“A wonderful Godly man”
“I will miss his hugs. I thank God for the time I got to share with him”
“His sweet presence will be missed””So thankful to have known him”
“A great man with a great impact”

Isn’t that the resume that all of us would like to have as representatives of Jesus?  This is Harry with his bride Jerry. Pray for her and the family as they mourn their loss.

I met Jake Washburn just a few months ago through dear friends Laura and Duke Barnett. They told me about this remarkable young man who loved Jesus, his family, his friends and the Rangers in that general order. Jake has lived (emphasis on lived) all of his life with Cystic Fibrosis. He received a double lung transplant a few years ago. We developed an online correspondence about faith and starting pitching.

I finally got to meet Jake in person at Globe Life Park this past season.

When I met him on the field those transplanted lungs were beginning to fail and Jake had his oxygen tank in tow. Unless he could receive a second transplant his prospects were grim. For a thirty year old young man to hear this news you might have thought he would have been a bit discouraged or downcast. You don’t know Jake. His smile and confident trust in God lifted and inspired me. Jake received a baseball signed by Ranger manager Jeff Banister that featured the team slogan.

#nevereverquit

I know Jake had to be discouraged at times as the prognosis got worse and worse. How could you not be when receiving such news? But his faith was undaunted. When he was rejected by a couple of hospitals for a second transplant Jake asked his friends not to be angry with the doctors who denied his surgery. He simply said that God is in control and He will make a way. Hundreds if not thousands were praying for this special young man. I have no other explanation other than a miracle happened. A transplant team in Phoenix agreed to review his situation. They put him on the list and he moved to Phoenix to wait.

On November 18th Jake posted this quote from Kari Jobe.

“The only thing I want in life is to be known for loving Christ”.

How can you not root and pray for a warrior like that? Just a few days earlier he had posted this verse on his site.

Jake lives that hope. He knew that whatever happened he would be okay. He would either have a second chance to live and breathe or he would be eternally healed with Jesus. And then the call came that new lungs were available. I will never forget watching Jake share on Facebook Live the wonderful news.  He kept asking over and over that we pray for the family of the donor who were grieving even as their sacrifice gave life to Jake and others. It was a powerful moment. The surgery was a success. Jake is breathing with new lungs thanks to a selfless donor, an amazing medical team. legions of prayer warriors and a God who sovereignly made a way for Jake to make it to Phoenix. One of the first things he did after waking up from surgery is to scratch out these words on a whiteboard in his hospital room.

Jake wrote “never ever quit” and “Rangers”. His handwriting was a bit shaky after major surgery, anesthesia and being all tethered up with tubes but we can forgive that! Keep praying for his healing and recovery. And be encouraged that God can use regular people reflecting Jesus through trials and suffering in miraculous ways. He certainly did that with my two heroes.

Jake and Harry shared one very important trait. They were both prepared to die. The irony of our Christian journey is that when we are prepared to die we are prepared to live. Out of that truth we can live without fear of the future. We can live joyfully knowing that God has plans for us that are good. Our future and our hope may be present or eternal but that hope is real in the lives of followers of Jesus.

Heroes like Harry and Jake don’t make headlines. What they make is much more important. They make a difference.