Our teenage daughter, had taken a journey to Honduras to volunteer in an orphanage to teach the young leadership skills while sharing hugs of plenty.  Her desire to go to Honduras came from knowing many of the kids at the orphanage since I had made a trip there myself 9 years ago.  We remained in contact with the kids throughout the years.  Something happened there that has changed her life permanently.

A bit of background: My daughter is home schooled and her desk is in the same office where my husband and I run our companies.  She has learned useful life skills in leadership and many other advantageous opportunities while she keeps up her academics.  She believes her greatest advantage is our one-on-one interaction, and making time for one another during the day, that otherwise might not happen in a school setting.

My daughter  is a remarkable person at the young age of 15 and I say that with humility.  One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that when kids begin to listen to their heart they will develop their purpose in life and the outcome is one in which we parents cannot take credit for.

One evening she was walking with two other volunteers back to the orphanage and a 10-yr-old little girl.  Four men pulled up next to them in a vehicle and stopped.  Two men quickly jumped out of the back seat while the driver held a large gun pointed at my daughter and the boy.   She lifted her hands in the air while one man grabbed the boy’s back pack off his arm and walked behind the small group.  She thought the man had put his hand on the little girl’s shoulder so my daughter instinctively dropped her arm and pulled the little girl behind her.  Her only thought was to protect; so she step in front of her to block the view from the man with the gun.

Just then they heard other voices coming from down the road, which made the men nervous enough to quickly get back in their vehicle and take off.  The group was left in shock and immediately said a prayer of gratitude before continuing on their way back to the children’s home.

There will always be a “what if” factor in this story because we don’t know what would have happened had the men not been scared off by others entering the scene, but one very profound thing stood out to me.   To instinctively step into harms way to protect the little girl tells me my daughter has developed an attitude of love; a willingness to risk your own life to save someone else’s.

I believe that every child has remarkable potential to grow into leadership but they must experience love in order to act on it.  Why do I say love? Have you ever tried to lead without love? What was the result?  Pure obedience, no thoughts culminating or questions brewing.  No space for creative thinking, no possibilities of dreams, or strengthening the potential of those dreams, and ending with a very limited capacity to lead.

If love leads first, every character trait shown will be magnified through dignity, nobility, honor, and perseverance.   Who wouldn’t want to follow a leader such as that?

I admire my daughter’s courage to do what she felt was right even if it meant taking a risk.  We will never know our greatest strength until we have experienced moment’s of taking our greatest risks.