Hero's Welcome

Our pastors came home yesterday! After a two-month absence of hospitalization and rehab from a car accident, they deserved a hero’s welcome! We were alerted of their long-awaited homecoming a day in advance, and those at church Sunday signed a huge Welcome Home banner waiting in readiness. Plans were quickly made to have as many of the flock as possible lining their driveway, holding posters or other signs of welcome as the two cars carrying them were driven in from their two-hour journey.

“Why don’t we pick up some flowers for them?” I suggested to my husband, since we didn’t get a sign made. We found just what we needed in the floral department of our local supermarket. Then it occurred to me that we needed a “Welcome Home” balloon.

Surveying the selection of Mylar balloons at a store, we saw every kind of greeting except “Welcome Home”. Finally I found one; unfortunately it held a tag that said “We are out of helium”. The friendly assistant said a nearby supermarket would air it up for us. I took two, finding another that would suit our purposes, and sure enough, the cooperative balloon center attendant at the next store was happy to fill them with helium. “Would you like some latex ones, also?” she asked. A bright red balloon and a shiny yellow one were added to our bouquet with trailing ribbons tethered to a heavy clip.

Everything looked great, our balloons bobbing brightly in the breeze beside the banner that was stretched across the walk between two lamp posts. We got the call that they were only a few blocks away, and everyone scurried into position. It was a joyous and tearful welcome for our heroes, who seemed genuinely surprised, if a little overwhelmed. After greetings kept brief so the returnees could get settled, we waved our goodbyes and the welcoming party dispersed, eagerly awaiting our pastors’ soon appearance at church.

I read of another kind of hero the other day, when a friend from our former church wrote on facebook about their involvement with the volunteer fire department in our neighboring community. She said that over the past several weeks, her husband and other volunteers had been called out several times. Not for fires or car accidents, but from a woman whose husband had fallen out of his chair or bed. She wasn’t able to lift him back into bed, so she called the fire department. Sometimes the calls were as late as 2:00 o’clock in the morning, but the men always arose and answered the call of duty.

A few days ago, my friend and her husband visited the home, prepared to ask if the fire department could buy guard rails for the bed to prevent the man’s falls. His wife met them at the door and tearfully embraced them. “Thank you for being there when I needed you most,” she said, “but my husband passed away last night.” Though no banners awaited them, it appeared that once again, these heroes had appeared right on time.