hero/heroine

Yesterday, we began a new topic regarding heroes and heroines; people who by their lifestyle demonstrate qualities and characteristics that are worth modeling our lives after. I'm not thinking of that rare number of people who in a moment of need throw themselves off of bridges into frigid waters to save the drowning baby. I'm thinking of people whose lives have been tested in the fires of personal trial and suffering, who have dedicated their whole lives to God and who live sacrificially in the day to day lives. They don't do courageous things to make it onto the front page of the local paper, they almost unknowingly find themselves doing remarkable things because it has become the thing that they most naturally do. This is because they have allowed God into their little lives, and given him opportunity to transform their lives into the image of Jesus. Doing these extraordinary things has become the most natural thing for them to do because it flows out of their character. Perhaps an even more accurate way of saying it would be that they allow God to work through them, as a result of their full acknowledgment that it is really God at work through them, they have no need to take credit. Their reward is in God and they are most happy to fade back into the landscape of ordinary life, allowing the glory to be God's.

Below is some "reference" info on "hero" from dictionaries, encyclopedias, and thesauruses...but what do you think? Who is your hero? Describe their character; what makes them a hero?

Dictionary:
Main Entry: he·ro
Pronunciation: 'hir-(")O, 'hE-(")rO
Function: noun
1 a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage

Wikipedia:

From the Greek cognate ἣρως, in mythology and folklore, a hero (male) or heroine (female) is an eminent character archetype that quintessentially embodies key traits valued by its originating culture. The hero commonly possesses superhuman capabilities or idealized character traits which enable him or her to perform extraordinary, beneficial deeds (i.e., a "heroic deed") for which he or she is famous (compare villain).

In modern movies, the hero is often simply an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, who, despite the odds being stacked against him or her, typically prevails in the end. In some movies (especially action movies), the hero may exhibit characteristics such as superhuman strength and endurance (even the point of being seen as being nearly unkillable, despite whatever damage is done to them). Often a hero in these situations has a foil, the villain, typically a charismatic evildoer who represents, leads, or himself embodies the struggle the hero is up against.

Thesaurus: brave, stalwart, gallant, valiant, man/woman of courage