Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
6 19 2026

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Heroes Without Medals. The Heroes We Almost Miss

I owe you Part Two of our discussion on heroes, and considering Sunday is Father’s Day, I will just have to make this a trilogy.   I just couldn’t move on without stopping here for a moment.

My dad has been gone for more than ten years now.

Every once in a while, something happens, and I still find myself wanting to pick up the phone and talk to him for a few minutes. Just a few minutes. Maybe you’ve felt that too. Maybe your father has passed away. Maybe your relationship wasn’t what you hoped it would be. Maybe he wasn’t around at all. Or maybe you were blessed with a father who loved you well and pointed you in the right direction.

My dad wasn’t much of a talker. Looking back, I wish I had asked more questions. I wish I had listened a little closer. He spent years giving and giving of himself, but when I got to high school, I didn’t have time for him. And then grown-up life happened.  Sound familiar?  Funny how time has a way of revealing things we missed while we were busy living life.  Sad in a way that we need the National Holiday to be reminded to honor our Fathers.

As I’ve reflected on heroes these last few writings, I realized I couldn’t finish the conversation without talking about fathers.

Not because every father was perfect.   Far from it.  I’m a Dad…and I’m not!

But because most of us can point to someone who stepped into our lives at a critical moment and helped shape who we became.

Maybe it was your dad.  Maybe it was a grandfather.

Maybe it was your mother, aunt, or uncle who was carrying responsibilities they never expected to shoulder alone.  My sister Theresa majorly helped raise her son’s daughter because of problems he was having,
and now she is doing it again at 75 to a 5 yr old.

Maybe it was a coach, a pastor, a neighbor, a friend, or an older believer who took an interest in you when they didn’t have to.   Whoever it was, God used them.

Somehow.  Some way.  Big or small.  But they took that committed step toward you to help.

I know, the word hero feels almost too lofty for people like that. We reserve that word for soldiers charging into battle, first responders running into burning buildings, or men and women who perform extraordinary acts of courage.

And rightly so.   Those people deserve our admiration.  But I’ve often wondered something.

How long does someone have to perform an act of heroism before we call them a hero?  
A single moment?  One decision?   One committed step?

A soldier throws himself on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. One moment changes everything. He carries the title hero for the rest of his life.

A firefighter enters a burning building knowing there may be no way back out. One decision. One act of courage.

We call them heroes because they willingly sacrificed something of themselves for someone else.

But, Isn’t that what fathers do?

Not once.  Not twice.   But over and over and over again.  Decade after decade. 
When I became a father, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into.

I knew I wanted children.   I knew I would love them.   But I had no concept of how much of myself would be required.  Did I think I was a hero?  Absolutely Not!  I was a ragtag soldier on a mission to protect and raise a real-life human being…who I made…with a little bit of help.

Nobody hands you a brochure explaining that your schedule is no longer your own. Your hobbies will often move to the back burner. Your finances will be stretched. Your sleep will be interrupted. Your freedom to come and go as you please will quietly disappear.

There is always another practice to attend, another bill to pay, another problem to solve, another conversation that can’t wait.  There is always somewhere else you could be.

Then those little eyes look up at you.  And suddenly, the place you need to be becomes obvious.

I think about all the things fathers give up that rarely get noticed. The ballgame they didn’t watch. The purchase they didn’t make. The promotion they passed on. The dream that got delayed. The countless hours spent working, teaching, fixing, protecting, providing, encouraging, correcting, and worrying.  And sewing ballet shoes?

Not perfectly…. But faithfully.  

Most of it happens without applause.

Most of it happens without recognition.

Most of it happens because love quietly chooses sacrifice.

As I get older, I find myself appreciating those sacrifices more than I ever did when I was younger.

The older we get, the easier it becomes to see what they carried.

The burdens.

The pressures.

The responsibilities.

The fears they often hid from us…still do.

And even if your father wasn’t everything you needed him to be, chances are there was someone God placed in your life who helped carry you for a season…

Someone who gave you a committed moment.

Someone who took a step toward you…for you.

Someone who invested when they didn’t have to.

Someone who saw something in you before you saw it in yourself.

Those people matter.  Those people shaped us.  Those people deserve our gratitude.

This Father’s Day, I hope you’ll take a few moments to think about the heroes God placed along your path. Call them what you will.  But I think Hero is not too big a title to give to kindness, and in many cases…loving kindness and commitment. 

Maybe call them if you still can. Thank them if they’re still here. Honor their memory if they’re not. 
Tell someone who might be inspired to hear the story.

James reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (James 1:17).

Sometimes one of those gifts arrives in the form of a father.  Or a grandfather.  Or a mentor. Or a Bible Study leader.   Or a faithful friend.

And while they may never wear a medal, or being awarded one… their impact may last for generations.

That’s heroic enough for me…Isn’t it for you?  And what does graciousness cost us…what does appreciation cost us?

Questions to Consider

Who are the people God used to shape your life at critical moments?

Have you ever thanked them for the role they played?  Well, thank them again.

“What part of this hit home for you this morning? What are you carrying today that needs prayer?  If you’d like, send me a prayer request here. Let’s invite the Holy Spirit in together.  (where two are gathered.) You are not walking alone.  Just hit reply…
I read every response.”
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What a wonderful name it is  Hillsong