Just a couple of 5th graders…

The Behold Tour has been amazing this year, so far. We’ve been all over the southeast U.S. getting to encourage and minister – it’s been so refreshing to be in different parts of the country seeing how people live, how they worship, the local ‘color’ 🙂 The guys and I always make time to talk about what we saw, our different experiences, our take-aways from each time we get to worship with new and old friends and churches. Yesterday, I was so encouraged by a little boy that…

worshiped with EVERYTHING he had. I’m telling you, from the tip of toes to the top of his head, my new friend, Quay, sang every word that came on the screen yesterday morning & then at the the Behold Tour last night. I just shut my mouth and listened. Listened as a 5th grader didn’t care who heard, didn’t care who saw, he knew it was time to praise in song and he was all in. His sweet, and very loud, voice filled up at least three rows, and he didn’t care. It was time. And he wasn’t going to waste it.

We watched as he filed in with a friend and an older gentleman from the church. I noticed the gentleman was wearing the tag that was connected with the two boys, so I realized that the man brought them. So let’s be honest, I’m nosy, so I started watched them. 🙂

The gentleman made a sarcastic comment as he filed the boys in their seats in front of us… then turned and winked with a smile. He left them there with instructions not to move, and I panicked! I’ve been a 5th grader! You move as soon as he’s out of sight! And one of them did, but not Quay. He kept right on singing. The other boy and the gentleman reappeared and filled their seats. This time, all three of them began to sing; the gentleman who had been giving the orders was now bending down to their level singing just as loud with an encouraging smile – the three of them were singing:

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
‘Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name

… and the waterworks started flowing from my eyes. Those words, those seeds that man was sowing, the Word of God that doesn’t return void – it was humbling.

Later on, I asked about them. I learned that the gentleman and his wife (who are well-respected members of the community) pick up those boys every time the church is open and bring them. They are in their 60’s and they are bringing a few 5th graders from the inner city to church – because they realize that there’s more to life than things, accomplishments; they realize that the Gospel is more than being there, but it’s bringing someone… even a few 5th graders.

I watched Quay last night during Behold. He sang every word he knew. I prayed for Quay last night as he came to talk to myself and Daniel (drums). Here’s the pic of us together:

Pray for him and his friends today, will you? Pray for the gentleman and his wife that faithfully sow into their lives by showing love… not just telling. Please take a minute and be that gentleman to a couple of 5th graders in your own world today– and change the world. 🙂