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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Unsung Hero (12/07/06)
He walks down the dark, empty halls of the high school, touching each locker as he prays. He comes to the display case that houses group photo’s of different athletic groups and prays specifically for them, his hand moving over the front of the case for each team. When he is finished, he walks the halls again, praying out loud. This has become his custom for nearly thirty years now, since he became the janitor for his son’s high school.

Everyday he walks the halls, touching the lockers, praying for each child. He prays that they will meet Christ and come to know Him, he prays for safety and for joy. He stops at the athletic display case and prays for each team, that they might have success, but moreover, that each child would learn teamwork and cooperation. Then he enters the office, where he prays for the administration and the teacher staff. He prays that what comes out will be full of Godly wisdom and truth. Then, finally, he goes to the cafeteria and prays that the Lord will fill the entire school with His Holy Spirit, not allowing anything else in but His love and joy.

When everything and everyone has been prayed for, he then joyfully starts his duties, cleaning behind the students and faculty that he so loves. Some say this is his lot in life that he’ll never amount to anything else and always clean up after those who are unappreciative and who do not care what happens to him. He just smiles and tells them he loves the kids and will keep it up.

God, however, sees something quite different. He sees the heart where others can only see the outside. He hears the prayers of the righteous and smiles at their sweet sound.

As he walks humbly through the school, God sees a hero. As he prays for the lost, God hears a hero. As he does his job with love in his heart, God looks down and smiles upon a hero. The kids and the faculty may never see, in this world, what kind of hero he is, but God does.

Without the prayers this man lifts up every night, who knows what may happen. High school can be bad enough with a covering of prayer, imagine how much worse if it were removed, if he chose not to pray. Imagine the injuries at events or the amount of untruth taught in classes.

He is a true hero. Oh, he may never stop a bullet or run faster than the speed of light, he may never lift one hundred times his body weight or have the ability to unleash massive amounts of power from his fingers, but his prayers can move an entire mountain. His faith is big enough to walk on water or bring healing to the sick. Yes, he is a true hero, unknown and unheard of, but still a hero.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
julie wood
12/14/06
A moving and beautiful story! I loved its opening--the specific descriptions of the main character on his "prayer walk" through the empty school made him come alive for me. I could just see and hear this godly old man!

I also really liked the repetition of the word "hero" with all its implications in a later paragraph, as well as the final comparison of the janitor with more conventional superheroes--all, of course, in the main character's favor. Wonderful message, vividly expressed!
Kaylee Blake 
12/15/06
Wow. A really awesome tribute. Very well-written. I really like how you didn't name this man, making it appear that he could be any janitor anywhere. You kept me interested and held my attention (which is sometimes hard to do!). Great job. Keep up the good work.
Pat Guy
12/16/06
This is sooooo good! I love it! And it's a fantastic mission - a challenge - to all who work in the school system. Great work.
Catrina Bradley
12/19/06
Very nice! I love this line: "He hears the prayers of the righteous and smiles at their sweet sound." Thanks for writing about this hero.
Betty Castleberry
12/21/06
I like the first two paragraphs where he walks the halls, touching lockers, etc., and praying for the students and the staff. The fact that he's actually touching something makes this come alive for me. I'd like to think there really are janitors like this. Good job.