…Whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all…(Mark 10:43-44)

My brother in-law, Robert Ross, is no doubt a direct descendant of Daniel Boone. Robert grew up in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. I don’t know what they do for fun up there. I am not sure I want to know. I just know that Robert could be perfectly content to spend his days fishing, hunting, camping, or otherwise imitating his ancestor, Daniel Boone. There is actually a lot more to Robert’s character than just his affinity for the wilderness. Robert is a great guy. The poor Michigan native married into a very traditional Texas farm family. He must have thought all of us were from the planet Mars, but he has always been exceedingly gracious. Robert is an automotive repair technician at the Saturn dealership in Fort Collins, CO. Unlike his balloon launching neighbor in Fort Collins, Robert is very humble and unassuming. He is just a down to earth man who possesses a good blend of common sense and compassionate concern for people. I have always known him to be generous and kind. He is a very tender hearted individual.

Last week Robert became a hero. When he was on his way to work before sunrise last Wednesday morning, he witnessed a car going off the snow packed roadway. Robert is not one inclined to panic under such circumstances. (His ancestor Daniel Boone no doubt fought bear on his way to work.) Robert immediately dialed 911 on his cell phone.
He then proceeded to investigate. A 19 year old girl partially ejected from the vehicle, which came to rest on top of her. Robert lives in the real world, where common sense prevails. He and two other good Samaritans kept that car lifted off of her chest for 20 minutes, while they waited for an emergency crew to arrive. She would not have been able to breathe had it not been for their quick and helpful response.

Robert became a hero in the eyes of the Denver metro area this past week. He of course was featured on the local news station, and in appeared in the newspaper. Unlike his media grabbing, balloon launching neighbor, Robert could have done without the attention. I am quite sure he is content to plan still another hunting trip or fishing expedition. He is also content to be a quiet servant, who helps others with no desire for attention or fanfare.

The injured girl is still listed as being critical at this time. We pray for a complete recovery for her. I hope she will take the time to meet our modern day Daniel Boone. She will discover quickly that they really don’t come any better than Robert. The community of Fort Collins will soon move on with their life. Robert’s name will be forgotten. In the eyes of his extended family, he was a hero before last Wednesday, and he will continue to assume that status indefinitely. After all we are among greatness.