michellesingleton.com // Confessions of the Preacher’s Wife

Wow!  Have braces come a long way or what?  I wore braces in middle school and remember being called “tinsel teeth” and “metal mouth.”  But not everyone had braces. 

Today, almost every kid in Nathan’s class wears braces ~ all but one!  Both of my kids got their braces put on today.  The braces actually glue on to the teeth (no more metal mouth) and they get an assortment of colors to choose from.  Nathan chose dark blue and Juliana selected bright pink, of course!

Besides my very empty pockets (the cost of braces have come a long way too), I was surprised at the special toothpaste and it’s price… a whopping $14.99 for a medium sized tube… crazy!

Both of my kids look much older with their new hardware… I must succumb to that fact… Another sign of my kids growing up.  How how treasure these Middle School Days!

As we are moving through the middle school years, I sometimes am lost for the right words to motivate my kids towards Christ-like behavior.  It is not that their behavior is “bad,” they just like to test the limits.  And they have mastered pushing each other’s buttons and mine too!

Last week we were in South Carolina at a Chick-Fil-A and a very old senior man (I am guessing late 70’s) came to our table.  He was wearing a Chick-Fil-A employee name tag that read “Mr. Jim.”  His words were kind and gentle and his voice was so quiet you could barely hear him when he spoke.  He offered my kids a paper Chick-Fil-A kitchen hat.  I knew my kids would not be excited about the hats, but to my surprise, the kids took the hats and even put them on.  They said in unison (with great enthusiam) “Thank you so much” as if they had just received a new electronic game.

Mr. Jim smiled at Rob and me and said, “My, you have a very nice family.” Then he slowly shuffled to the next table.  I asked them why they were so excited about the hats. 

“Mom, he is so old and you can tell he is really genuinely nice and doing a good job for Chick-Fil-A.  We couldn’t turn him down.  We wanted to make his day a happy day.”

I caught my kids doing something right.  Not just “right” but great!  Terrific!  And Christ-like!  Showing kindness and putting someone else ahead of yourself is always the right thing to do.

I praised their attitude and their actions.  I reminded them that this is how Jesus would have treated this man.  And of course, Rob and I let our kids know how proud we were of the choice they made to return this man’s kindness.  Our kids beamed with the encouragement they received and they exhibited remarkable kindness for the remainder of the week-end.

It is my prayer that by catching Nathan and Juliana doing something right, we will reward Christ-like behavior with encouraging words to help them take their knowledge of Jesus from their head to heart and then to their hands and feet!

I spent past week-end in Charleston with Nathan’s soccer team… tournament time!  And I must say on the front end, I absolutely love 12 year old boys.  I don’t always get their humor — in fact, their jokes are often not funny!  But their attempts do crack me up.

So what do you do with boys in Charleston?  When you’re not playing soccer, you eat — junk food is their choice.  You play football on the beach.  Eat.  Laugh a lot.  Catch the latest movies:  Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Alice in Wonderland.  Eat.  Engage in deep conversation such as discussing who can climb the highest rock wall the fastest, what animal best describes the geek who sits next to them in math and weird things about girls.  Laugh some more.  Eat.  iTouch competition.  Eat.  And look for lost cell phones.  And swim in an outdoor pool — water temperature 60 degrees.

And then, after playing the final tournament game in a torrential downpour, they take off their shirts and sprint across the field hollering like the wild animals they are.  Then they pile in your car and compare mud and grass stains and wonder if any girls saw them running without their shirts.  Basically, 12 year old boys are a total blast!

There are no worries over clothes, cleanliness, pettiness… for the most part, they are low issue and low maintenance.  And they are all about having fun.  They are also very forgiving of each other and adults. 

Much can be learned in this environment. 

Most of all:  Don’t take life too seriously!

Juliana had a dance competition in Raleigh last week-end.  Her team did very well and brought home a 1^st place and two 2^nd place trophies.  We celebrated with a pool party at the hotel and there were dozens of girls swimming… and me.  No other mothers ventured in the water. 

I played and swam for a bit and noticed the other moms keeping an eye on me.  Even though I was having fun, I sheepishly slid out, wrapped a towel around me and found a chair to watch the girls.  I was sidelined by my own worries over what the other mothers were thinking.

Later, I called a girlfriend.  We laughed about my swim with the girls and the looks I got.  My friend gave me some good advice:

We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

Just wait ‘til the next pool party.  No matter what kind of looks I get, I’m staying in the water!  I won’t stop playing and I won’t grow old without a fight!

Not everyone welcomed us in Mexico.  In the village of Cafetalito, a local church organized a protest march.  As they passed by singing a gloomy song (it sounded like a dirge) and carrying a cross, their children looked on longingly as the other Mayan children were laughing and playing games with us — wearing their new shoes.  It was sad to see and realize that division happens everywhere and is not pleasing to God.

“You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together both inwardly and outwardly.  You have one Master, one faith, and one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all.  Everything you think and do is permeated with Oneness.”  Ephesians 4:4 (MSG)

What are you doing to promote unity?

I could go on forever about the precious children in Mexico.  I fell in love with each one and wanted to bring them all home with me.  But the Mayan villagers take good care of their children and would not let them go. 

I close my eyes and see their sweet faces.  My heart melts again.  I have prayed for them over and over.  Trusting God for their salvation, their future, their hope.

As much as I love these little ones, Jesus loves them more.  And the reality that Jesus is not white but rather brown, red, yellow, black and yes, white too, reminds me of the song I sang growing up in Sunday School.

Jesus loves the little children,   

All the children of the world.                                  

Red and yellow, black and white,

They are precious in His sight.                                          Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 (NLT),  “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them!  For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”

Of course it does.  Children make things simple, like Christ’s love.  They have a simple faith that pleases God.  And they seem to have an understanding — better than many adults.  God’s love is not complicated and there are no strings attached.  We can learn so much from the children around the world.

One really neat blessing was getting to know the other members of our Mission Team.  Developing a friendship with Kerri was more than refreshing.  She is a committed Christ Follower, a devoted wife, a wonderful mother and a successful attorney who can occupy children for hours with her balloon creations.  Children migrated to her and picked right up on her genuine love and kindness.  We all did.

Kerri lead our team in a devotional that resonated with the work God was stirring in my heart.  Her husband, Wes, is a firefighter.  She explained that when a house is on fire you can see it for miles.  She also shared that a house fire doubles in size every 30 seconds.  From a spark, a towering inferno will develop if you fan the flame.  It becomes all-encompassing.  Firefighters don’t open doors and windows because oxygen feeds the fire.  But as Christians, we must open up every window to “fan the flames” and let the fire grow!

“I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…”  2 Tim 1:6a

It is my hope and prayer that God will continue to use me to fan the flame that grew in Mexico.  That I will bring the Good News of Jesus to my mission field which expands far beyond the Mayan villages.  Our North Carolina home is a vast mission field.  There are needy people in my community, at my job, in our church, at the grocery store, at Nathan’s soccer games… needy people are everywhere I go.

As I got to know the Mayan villagers, it became increasingly clear that while Union County needs look different from Yucatan Pennisula needs, the people in both places are much the same ~ completely hopeless and void of eternal life without Christ.  We all need a Savior.

And this is why Jesus came: to bring eternal hope and life.  He is our Savior.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  And we must embrace the world, our mission field, with compassionate eyes and His love.  We must bring the Good News to the ends of the earth!

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15 (NIV)

If I had to choose a Bible verse that best decribes Juliana on our Mayan journey, I would choose Colossians 3:12–14 (MSG):

The Great Commission is The Great Adventure.  This is Nathan’s heart.  He loves God and lives for adventure.  And when you combine the two, God rocks your world.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18–20  (NLT)

This is how Nathan carried out the Great Commission in Mexico.  He carefully thought out how he might engage conversation with the Mayan boys.  Then he prayed.  Nathan determined he would better communicate if he interacted with the boys without the translator’s help.  (I was never that confidant.)  He wrote down key sentences for conversation and what he would say as he told the boys the Good News of Jesus. 

With the help of Omar, he studied all these sentences in Spanish until he got them down.  Once we entered the villages, Nathan built a relationship with the boys by playing soccer and other games.  When it was time to wash their feet, the boys were very comfortable with Nathan.  They trusted him and wanted to hear what he had to say about Jesus.  This was Nathan’s own method for delivering the Great Commission.  He turned it into a terrific adventure as only a boy can!

God honored Nathan’s commitment to sharing the gospel.  Second only to Rob, Nathan was able to lead more Mayans to the Lord than any other member of our mission team.  God was faithful to bring fruit from a young man’s determination to see lives changed.

Preach the word of God. Be prepared in season

or out of season , whether the time is favorable or not.  

2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV/NLT)

Rob was a Mayan Village Street Preacher.  Seriously!  While we were

presenting the gospel in the village of X-cabil to the children, Rob noticed

a small gathering of Mayan men and teenage boys who were on the

outside looking in.  You could tell they were very curious about all the

attention the children were getting:  new shoes and socks, puppet show,

skits and good Bible teaching, not to mention the games, books and candy. 

Rob would not let this opportunity pass.  He grabbed Omar, one of our

translators, and walked over to the men.  Rob arranged for the Mayan

men to get a new pair of shoes.  Then he went on to share the Good

News of Jesus.  The crowd grew as Rob told the men God’s plan for

salvation for each of their lives.

Every one of those men put their trust in Jesus right there on the street

that day.  Imagine the rejoicing in heaven!  And what strong leaders,

fathers and husbands these men will now be with Jesus living at the

center of their lives!

This “street preaching” wasn’t part of the program.  It wasn’t even

necessarily convenient.  But Rob was obedient to follow God’s Word,

and God brought fruit from Rob’s faithfulness. 

It was another lesson for me.  I had the life-changing message of Jesus

to share with these villagers, with everyone we met, whether it looked

like the right time or not.  That is what God calls us to do.  And then we

trust Him for the results.

Take a look at the pictures below: