Guest Blogger: Michelle Singleton

Rob: Ok, time to fess-up. Last weekend the Lord did amazing things through the “Miracle on the Hudson” with US Airways flight 1549. And He continues to get the glory as the story goes from local radio to local TV news to the front page of The Observer and now across the country (it as featured on CNN today). We just want as many people as possible to know that God was the miracle worker—you don’t just ditch a major airliner into the water and see everyone walk away from it. I mean, stuff like that only happens once every…

Never.

It was God and He alone deserves the glory. However, would you (the reader) be the least bit surprised to learn that statements like that make some people angry?

They do.

People have no problem whatsoever praising the miracle itself. No issue with mentioning the involvement of angels or a “higher power,” but start throwing in the word God and they get miffed.

Get specific and say, “Jesus” and they practically go postal.

Tough.

God still moves and He wants to move in your life if you’ll just open the eyes of your heart and see Him.

Anyway, enough of that. This is supposed to be a guest blog from my wife. Well, here is why Michelle is writing today.

The entire idea to get people to our church to talk about the Miracle on the Hudson was her idea and here is how it all came about…

 

Guest Blog: Michelle Singleton

36 Hours

 

Friday morning, as I was getting ready for work in the Y locker room, I heard on the locker room TV various newscasts giving their take on the “Miracle on the Hudson.”  My heart was broken and I began to cry….something I don’t often do…..but no one was around to see.  My heart was broken because it was so obvious that the Miracle Maker, Jesus Christ, had orchestrated all the events to save the passengers on Flight 1549 but no one was giving God the glory or the praise He was due.  They acknowledged the miracle, but gave no attention to the Miracle Maker.  No one!  This is when the Holy Spirit first brought John 14:11 to my mind.

 

My heart ached for these passengers, the media and everyone watching all around the world.  I knew that if we didn’t move quick, we would miss an obvious opportunity to give attention to our Lord and Savior, and I hurried to my car to call Rob.

 

I presented Rob with my crazy idea — I was convinced that God wanted to use this miracle to draw many to Him.  We had to get some of those Charlotte passengers in our church on Sunday.  To me, it was a no brainer and a tremendous opportunity to make our Hebrew series even more relevant to a seeking and hurting world.

 

This verse kept going through my head:  John 14:11 (NIV)

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

 

In my own quiet time, I had been studying Moses and the miracles that God gave him. It was clear that all through the Bible, God had used miracles to draw us to Him.  God, why should Miracle on the Hudson be any different?

 

So Rob and I spent the next 36 hours seeking passengers or even someone who knew the passengers.  We kept coming up short.  Or they were just not available.  Seemed like we’d get a lead only to have it end up with a “no.”  Several passengers called and somehow our phone never rang or we missed the call and had to return it.  Larry King had them, CNN had them, The Good Morning, America Show had them, so why shouldn’t Southbrook?  Although, we were not offering the survivors money or payment of any kind.

 

Rob even rewrote his sermon.  His assistant called the News stations.  We both believed this was God’s leading.  But nothing was turning up.

 

At 5:30pm on Saturday, I was driving home alone.  Rob and I had dinner plans with another couple and I was running late.  I knew that Rob would be so disappointed if he had not gotten a definite “Yes” from someone.  I began to cry again, alone in my car. 

 

“God, honor our efforts.  Let our efforts of the past 36 hours bring glory to Your name….and your name alone.” 

 

And I prayed John 14:11 yet again, asking God to make Himself known through this miracle and through His work at Southbrook.  I reminded God (as if He needed any reminding) that He had used miracles to draw people to Him throughout all time.  I acknowledged that He alone was the Miracle Maker on the Hudson.  I wasn’t asking for a miracle.  He had already saved the passengers.  Again, with teary eyes, I prayed John 14:11. 

 

I accepted that God would use this event at our church as He saw fit.  Whether or not we had real live survivors from the crash or just newsclips.  I felt God’s peace.  And I believed He would work things out.

 

As I walked into the house, I got myself together.  I didn’t want to contribute to any form of discouragement for Rob.  Rob was on the phone.  Two men (Dave and Don) had called him back right at that moment and were confirming that they would share with Southbrook on Sunday morning their story.

 

Rob and I really needed this encouraging news.  We both desire to see our community changd through God’s work at Southbrook ~ in a real and relevant way.  Our children sacrificed most of the week-end without us as Rob and I ran around trying to work this out.  I wanted Nathan and Juliana to see that God would honor their sacrifice as well.  And God showed up in an amazing way.  Nathan and Juliana saw God’s hand in this and were able to praise Him for His faithfulness.

 

So that is how God answered my locker room prayers of John 14:11.

 

Have a wonderful night….Think Snow!