there are people who come into your life that will forever change you. meet rob and jessel newton, and their daughter alana who is almost 3 years old.
rob and jessel were the leaders of the medical mission trip to
kenya
that i was privileged to be a part of in 2003. this couple consistently models Christ in their every action as individuals, as parents, as spouses. i remain in awe of how fully devoted they are to Him. last week i went to their home for dinner and attempted to describe my two weeks of world race training camp. we shared great laughs and wonder, and their wisdom and discernment was right on. i so cherish their support and friendship.
rob and alana have a bedtime ritual that i have witnessed before, but this time there was something new to the mix. after jessel and i finished saying our goodnights and left them alone, she told me how rob had been teaching alana to memorize bible verses. after a while alana invited us up to listen to her recite verses. we sat on the bedroom floor as rob and alana were lying in her bed. shy at first, rob would prompt her by stating the chapter and verse, then off she went. seven or eight times i heard this precious child boldly proclaim God’s word with confidence and pure joy. as i listened, i was reminded of how Jesus told us that the kingdom of God is revealed to little children – alana was such a beautiful picture of this truth. rob was also modeling a Father’s love and trust. from the bottom of my heart rob, thank you for being the man of God you are, for your passion to be a Godly father, and for blessing your daughter in innumerable ways.
Jessel also gave me a gift during this interaction. as rob would speak out the verses, three times jessel whispered to me, “this is a good one for you”:
proverbs 30:5 – ‘every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him’
isaiah 43:5 – ‘do not be afraid, for I am with you’
isaiah 30:15 – ‘in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength’
it was especially wonderful to then hear alana recite the verses in absolute trust. it was as if once again God was softly reaching out to me reminding me that the spiritual life should be like that of a child, that He so desires to be my loving Father, that He is forever trustworthy, and that i can always climb up next to Him as His adored child and just be.
p.s. – yesterday jessel and rob welcomed baby joey newton to the world! i have no doubt that he will grow to be a mighty warrior for our God.
