February 25th, 1974. Generally a quiet neighborhood, yet on this morning all that would change.
A husband, a wife and two daughters lay sleeping not knowing a fire and much smoke was working through the lower front of the house toward them. When they awoke to the flames and smoke the dad raced to a window and broke it with his arms cutting himself so severely that he passed out in a now growing pool of blood. The wife jumped from a second story window to get help and in her fall hit an air conditioner and lay helpless on the ground.
We’ll call him David…he was made aware of the fire and came running. The local paper wrote an article about the reluctant hero saying he had put a ladder to the upstairs window and brought out the husband and then the two daughters. The paper added, “David climbed and went inside knowing that his life would be snuffed out in a minute. He went into the house three times. He didn’t stand at the ladder, he had to go into the burning house and get them out.” Fortunately after a hospital stay for each member of the family they recovered from their injuries and smoke inhalation.
David would receive a letter from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission dated April 18, 1975, which would say, “The selfless courage shown in your decision to become involved in a perilous situation, and your determination in persisting with your rescue efforts, are indeed admirable qualities and an inspiration to all of us. We commend you highly for your exemplary actions.”
How many of us would have gone into that house knowing that your life was very much in danger in order to save someone else?
How many of us on any given day will go into the flaming lives of people around us and rescue them? It is obvious their life in on fire, people are hurt and need help. How many of us will rush, without hesitation into the lives of other people and rescue them?
God, let me be that person.
JHH
