Stories from the Heart

A Real Neighborhood Hero 

 Growing up in the 70s and 80s, there was an old cartoon that aired on Saturday mornings. Saturdays were every kid's favorite day; it was the day all three major networks showed cartoons! I know what you're thinking, three networks?? Yes, flipping the channel was pretty easy back then, and at midnight, they played the national anthem and went off the air. Good times, good times indeed! So, every Saturday the networks played cartoons, and one of my favorites was one from the 60s. It was called Underdog. It has been said that Underdog was a jab at Superman, but I don’tbelieve it. Superman had nothing on Underdog, with his humor and wit, and superpowers to boot. Who could resist such a cool superhero? And his favorite line was “Have no fear, Underdog is here!”  

Based on the box office numbers for the Marvel and DC Comics movies that Hollywood puts out, it appears a lot of people like a good superhero. People like it when someone stands up for the little guy. In high school, I did not like bullies, so I often put a stop to them if I saw someone being bullied. That is the blessing of coming from a large family of cousins and having an older brother. Plus, I had a lot of friends and thought everyone should be nice and enjoy life. I was not a jock, nor did I play sports; instead, I enjoyed acting and being the class clown, and getting a good laugh was fun.  

So naturally, I enjoyed cartoons like Underdog because he not only did good, but things worked out when he came on the scene. What was a good cartoon and storyline from Hollywood, though, does not even come close to real-life heroes. Oh, you won't find their names in the news; they don’t seek the attention. You also won't see them out front. Often times real-life heroes go unnoticed, and they are ok with that, because what they do flows from a heart of servanthood and a desire to just want to be a blessing.  

What I love about our community is the closeness that only a small community can experience. Oh, there are issues at times, but when the chips are down, when someone needs help, we come together. And what I really love about our community is that we have a real-life hero among us. She doesn’t wear a cape or some fancy superhero costume. She dresses quite normally and blends in well.  

Yet if you find yourself in the hospital or going through a challenging time, you have probably met this person, this real-life hero. Her name is Ms. Hazel. She’s the one from our church who seems to know what's going on around town. And she's often the first one to know before anyone else. So, whether she's putting on a bake sale for the ladies' ministries or organizing a dinner for a family because someone was in the hospital, you’ll catch a glimpse of her doing the hero thing, because that’s Ms. Hazel, that’s who she is. When I’m at a minister's conference and I meet a pastor in despair over too much happening in their church to keep up, I just let them know right then, “You just need a Hazel.”  

I will often get a strange look, but I enjoy bragging about Ms. Hazel. And if I could clone her, I would have a church full of Hazels. To be honest, if I could clone her, I would sell every family in America a Hazel. I think the country would be better off, because to know her is to be better off. So, if you find yourself out and about town and you come across a kind lady selling baked goods or delivering a food basket or even planning a dinner for someone, chances are it's Ms. Hazel. She's our neighborhood hero, and I wish we had many more like her!  

Jesse currently pastors Chokoloskee Family Church on Chokoloskee Island along with his wife, Charity. Their growing congregation keeps them busy with local outreaches and community events. They have two grandkids who live in the area who also attend their church, along with their daughter and son-in-law.