TODAY’S LIVING EXAMPLES OF JESUS: MICHAEL AND JEANNETTE COX
I decided to write about both Michael and Jeannette at the same time instead of doing two separate entries, although there is enough stories to share that I could write two very lengthy posts. These are two of the most incredible people you will ever meet. Their marriage is a great witness of Christ’s love and their understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ is evident in their everyday lives. As long as I’ve known these guys they have been encouraging me in my ministry, challenging in my walk with Christ and been there to meet any need I may have.
I worked with Michael at Harris Prairie Church of Christ. When we first talked about hiring someone to help Jason out with the college ministry and Sunday services we knew there was a need but were very skeptical about bringing someone on board. We didn’t want to hire someone who was going to take over and change everything. However, it didn’t take long for us to fall in love with both of them. It was a great fit and Michael brought more than we could have asked for.
I worked under Michael as a part of the Hunger (college ministry) leadership team and served on the worship teams. Then became his intern, which was a phenomenal experience. And that internship changed to a youth position and Michael still continued to encourage and help me along the way. I’ve learned so much about ministry from him. He has been my mentor in ministry and willing to help me at anytime, whether it is by talking through things, lending a hand when he really doesn’t want to or just hooking me up with good resources.
Outside of ministry the number of things I’ve learned from him are endless. There have been several conversations about music and music technology. Everything I know about the Simpsons I learned from him most likely. My favorites are the random bits of information that have surprisingly come in handy quite often. The guy is a genius but I’ve never felt like I couldn’t talk to him because of it. I love that.
Jeannette and I bonded over several meals together. With her crazy schedule at law school it made it hard to find time to hang out but it never really stopped us. We would talk about all sorts of things in life such as politics, education, church, ministry, friendships, life in general and numerous other things. I loved being able to talk through things with her that I couldn’t with others. She was always quick to encourage and point out the positive sides of things when I would get down.
One of the major lessons I’ve learned from Jeannette is the importance and loving and caring for everyone, regardless of who they are. She has such a huge heart for the people that get overlooked or pushed aside. You could find her at church having conversations with individuals that most people struggle to connect with. She may not have been at able to be around the church as much as others but she was a vital part of the Hunger ministry that I think most people never noticed. She has a very clear understanding that the body of Christ is to love, care for and protect each other. What better way to teach that then by living it out!
The last year or so that they lived in South Bend, Michael spent a lot of time with Jeff. We use to give them a hard time about it, but that gave Jeannette and I opportunities to hang out. I’ve appreciated her willingness to always make sure that things were going well and make sure there wasn’t anything I needed.
Both Michael and Jeannette are some of the most generous people I’ve met. They offered me a place to live when I was temporarily homeless. They invited me over to their house to eat several times. They are always giving my time, which I know is a valuable thing. Both of them will randomly call me just to see how life is or just sent me an e-mail. Both of them are full of wisdom and I have been truly blessed to have such amazing friends like them. Whether they are in South Bend or Portland or Dayton I always know they are just a phone call away. Thank you my friends for being fantastic and showing me Jesus!
(In case you are confused, Part 1 was a couple posts ago. There have been a couple since then.)
No comments:
Post a Comment