Living YES!: The Weybrights — Servants' Hearts

Chances are when this issue of Living YES! arrives in your inbox it will mark a new era for Wes and me. Nearly 17 years after launching YES!, we are scaling back our hours as we have turned the executive director reigns over to our wonderful colleagues and friends, Dan + Shani Parotti.

Dan invited Wes to remain in a supportive role for two days a week. And Shani asked me to continue working with her on the Living YES! newsletter. So, in a way we are heading into retirement on training wheels.

Whatever stage Wes and I are in, there's a heightened appetite for reading, listening and talking with those who have already been there. When Wes proposed (45 years ago next month ❤️), I couldn't snag a BRIDE'S magazine quick enough. I loved reading anything I could on planning a wedding and building a strong marriage. I especially liked asking people who were celebrating decades of marital bliss their secrets or advice.

Then, just six months into our marriage, I was pregnant, with twins!! Fortunately, I got in a little reading time on raising 'youngins'…and lots of observing parents and asking tons of questions. Then the blessed event, the birth of our firstborns, Jonathan and Heather. Eventually we added two more sons (single births), Andrew and Jeremy, to our tribe. I continued to pick the brains and hearts of other mothers (and dads!) who had been in my shoes.

Now semi-retirement is upon us…and, boy, more than ever I want to hear those stories. So, for starters, last week I had coffee with fairly new friends, Mike + Brenda Weybright.

We met the Weybrights at our church, ReGeneration. Their kind personalities, along with serving spirits in varied ministries, caught our attention. Mike has been retired from working in HVAC and sheet metal for a year. Brenda retired a month ago from serving as a School Health Educator with Pregnancy Resource Center.

While I loved visiting with Mike and Brenda, their humility probably held them back from sharing too much of all they are doing in this short, early-retirement span. So, I turned to our church administrator, Denise, who knows them well, for a closer look:

"I've known the Weybrights since before they were even a couple. >When Mike and Brenda married, Mike already had a daughter from a previous marriage. Even before their wedding, Brenda was intentional about building a good relationship with her. Later, they welcomed a biological child together and, with great love and commitment, adopted two more children through international adoptions. >As they raised their family, Mike and Brenda remained deeply engaged in ministry, consistently investing in the lives of others. Because of this, they now have a wide circle of friends across many places—people they have poured into and who continue to seek them out. >Today, that same heart for people shows up at church every week. They are quick to connect with both new and longtime members, often inviting others into their home to share a meal. >They serve faithfully in many areas—Prayer Ministry, Children's Ministry, Middle School Ministry—and have hosted a LifeGroup in their home every Friday night for years. >Mike and Brenda are always willing to step in wherever there is a need. Mike brings a can-do spirit, often saying, "I may not know how to do it, but I'll figure it out," which has led him to help on countless church projects. >Together, they are quick to respond when someone needs prayer, faithfully coming alongside anyone who asks. >The Weybrights are a gift to this church family, living lives that continually point others to Christ through love, service, and prayer."

Thanks, Mike + Brenda, for modeling servants' hearts…even in the onset of retirement!

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.Galatians 5:13 NLT

Reflection from Shani

I absolutely love stories of how God works through marriage to build families and serve as a launching point for His plan and purposes. I can name several couples who have been living examples for Dan and me.

If we are honest, we often look back at the years as we fumbled through marriage and parenting, and wonder, "Did we accomplish what we hoped? Did we reflect God's love to one another and to our kids?" Thankfully, and graciously, the Lord desires to work through us and our marriage, despite our struggles.

It is couples like the Weybrights who remind us that the Lord uses marriage to reflect Himself to the world. A couple united around glorifying the Lord and serving others is a living testimony. In a world where we see more brokenness than restoration in families, it's a treasure to witness those willing to be used together by Him.

Thank you, Jesus, that there is no perfection required, Just total surrender.

Do you know someone in the second half of life who is making a meaningful impact for the Kingdom? We’d love to hear their story as we continue gathering inspiring examples. Please send to info@yestoserve.org.