Meet Melissa Lockett

We're delighted to share with you, Melissa Lockett!

Melissa is married to Leighton, Pastor of High School Ministries at Beltway. While their first meeting during seminary orientation didn't prove to be memorable, soon after meeting they became inseparable and have now been married for seven years.  Melissa didn't aspire to be a pastor's wife, but found herself surrounded in ministry training by young men with passion and hearts for God and Leighton was no different.  She counts herself blessed to be a help meet for her husband often providing an extra set of hands behind the scenes in the high school ministry.  Melissa and Leighton are the proud parents of Alethia, 4, Trafton, 2 and Ansley who is 6 months old.  Melissa is blessed to get to stay at home with them each day nurturing their little hearts.

Melissa admits, after caring for three young children, her primary passion right now is down time.  She enjoys anything not related to raising kids! Having said that though, she is looking forward to getting away with her husband next month for a leadership conference in Atlanta.  It was at this conference last year where Melissa heard some challenging words she'll never forget.  "Good is the enemy of great."  Melissa decided right then that she doesn't want to be content with being a "good" mom or an "okay" wife.  She doesn't want to be content with good when God has called her to great!  It's a blessing to see how even in her "down time", Melissa's heart is still about her family.

In all seriousness though, a mom does need some time to relax and decompress.  Melissa loves to do just that with friends.  She recently got to meet up with three girlfriends in Ft. Worth and they enjoyed a fun weekend together, sharing laughs and ministry with each other.  In addition to her friends, Melissa loves a good cup of coffee, a great movie and an occasional novel.  Admittedly, she's slightly obsessed with Downton Abbey so you know where you can find Melissa in January when season four begins!

When Melissa was eighteen, she felt prompted by the Lord to take the YWAM School of Biblical Studies course.  This in depth study takes students through an intense training going through the Bible five times in nine months. At the time, Melissa didn't have any money saved and her parents
weren't sure this was what she was supposed to do.  Her parents did finally allow her to go and the school accepted her into the program without knowing how she would pay for the course.  Over and over, Melissa saw the Lord provide for her needs and finances.  This was a huge faith step for Melissa and a lesson on trusting God for her every need.

Throughout her life, Melissa has seen the spiritual gifts that God has placed within her come out.  She is gifted in the areas of teaching, serving and hospitality.  She currently gets to use these gifts as a 10th grade girls D-group leader and assisting Leighton in the High School ministry as a whole.  She enjoys hosting people in their home for dinner and making others feel welcome and at home.

When asked about how she deals with offense in marriage and relationships, Melissa says, "Marriage, even to a good man, provides a plethora of opportunities to work on my responses to the choices of someone else."  How true!  Adding ministry into the mix and you will find a daily lesson on offense.  But, Melissa finds one thing to be true 100% of the time:  Hurting people, hurt people.  A person's back story is played out in their current behavior and only God can see their past, present and future in the fullness of time.  When offense presents itself, Melissa opts to take it before the Lord, asking Him for His eyes on what is fueling the problem and how to see the solution His way.  While no situation is perfect, Melissa knows that another opportunity to practice dealing with offense God's way is always just around the corner.

It's this truth that God sees us and accepts us just the way we are, but isn't content to leave us there that dearly touches Melissa's heart.  In her walk in freedom, it's Melissa's desire to maintain a teachable spirit so that she may grow through the prompting of the Holy Spirit in every area of her life.  It is comforting to her that God is asking for perfection from her, only for Melissa to stay close to Him.  She holds tightly to Philippians 4:8-9 that say, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And The God of peace will be with you.”  

We have so much more we can learn from Melissa!  Please be sure an come to Let's Get Together on September 26th and ask Melissa about her adventures whitewater rafting down the Nile River!