"Is this really happening?" was the reoccurring statement for my friend Mary and I.
After speaking at the Activate Student Conference at Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Mississippi, a group of us met up at a steak house. This wasn't just any steak joint. This was the home of the latest American Idol winner Trent Harmon! When Luke (my husband) and I first saw Trent audition for the show, he was our farm kid favorite. I predicted, Trent would be one of the top two people standing in the final round of competition, if not the winner.
It was surreal to be at his family's restaurant just a few months later. After briefly seeing his mom on the show, I remember telling myself, I want to meet this woman someday. She did something right in raising her son. Now, being face to face with his mom Cindy, father Randy and sister Randi-Kathryn, I was able to ask the questions that made me wonder what led to Trent's success. What did these parents do right?
It was neat to hear about Trent's journey from being a farm kid and going to Hollywood to pursue his dreams, but as mothers, what spoke to our hearts the most was when his mother revealed how she prayed on her knees with diligence for her children since they were born. She asked that God would use them mightily for His sake. Her words convicted us and we realized we did not pray big enough prayers, often enough, for our children. We expressed our hope of her writing a book someday on her wisdom in child rearing. Another eye-opening thing Cindy mentioned was when she heard Trent singing as a child, she took the time to nurture his talent throughout his childhood. I need to be better at this as well! What gifts do my kids have now as toddlers, that I need to recognize and help cultivate?
His sister Randi-Kathryn's love and support for her brother was commendable. She was so proud of him. They both said putting each other first, helped keep the family together and make them stronger throughout the years. Both women attributed the following reasons why Trent won American Idol:
Strong faith in God
Perseverance
A God given talent
Trent's biggest challenge during the competition was when he dealt with mono. Since becoming a believer at the age of 10, Trent had always trusted God. It was this faith and surrender to the Lord which got him through his most difficult challenge on the show. He never gave up.
What would you like to pursue today? What big dreams are you currently praying over your children? Apply these tips from American Idol winner Trent Harmon's family and God will take you places you never imagined! As Trent recently told TV Guide, "Just the other day, I got to sing the National Anthem at Manny Pacquiao's last fight. That was something I though I'd never get to do... every day I'm doing things I didn't think I'd get to do."
Now it's your turn.
Make it happen!
