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We learned today that our friend Brenda passed away recently. I remember her laugh, her smile, her beaming pride at her son's wedding, her joy at holding her grand-children... Brenda was a member of our church in Regent Park (Toronto). Brenda was a hero. She had a rough background and ended up working the streets. But then her life got totally changed around. She found Jesus, and she found hope. She started working for The Salvation Army, and had an amazing ministry to other girls working on the street, because she knew them. To her, they weren't people she was helping or people she felt sorry for. They were her friends. Unfortunately, she got caught up in a harmful lifestyle again, but felt she couldn't tell anyone, because she was everyone's hope; everyone's success story; everyone's proof that lives can change.

Brenda taught me a lot. One of the things she taught me is that it's hard to be a hero, because most people expect that if you're a hero then you won't mess up. She taught me that when we celebrate people's victories, we often don't leave room for their failures. I guess we don't want to hear about the failures, because we like the happy endings from Hollywood movies or Christian magazines. I don't know... maybe Brenda was a hero because she left so many legacies. Maybe she was a hero because she loved through pain. Maybe she was a hero because she was real. Maybe she was a hero because she didn't fall from grace; because, in fact, she was proof that you can't fall from grace. Brenda - may your soul find gentle peace and delightful joy.