I always say I judge men by how they talk about their wives. I’m only kinda kidding. Really, it’s my way of encouraging husbands to think through what their words say about their hearts. I like what well-known Christian musician, Miles Pike says about his beloved wife, Martha. Clearly, their life mission unites them in a beautiful way.
In fact, their love story makes me want to be a better collaborator with my own hubby. Certainly, we all want harmony in our marriage even if we can’t sing.
If a life mission unites a couple, how exactly does that look? Miles and his family have given over 16,000 concerts in 43 states and toured Europe. That could be a lot of stress on family. I couldn’t wait to hear what he would say about how a life mission unites them.
Back Stage, Connected, Blessed
Martha was pregnant with twins when we met. Three kids in 18 months. Yep, I was impressed by her as we talked behind the scenes at his concert.
She placed her hand on her belly and smiled gently in the quiet as he wrapped up the concert out front. A talented musician in her own right, she sings and plays with her husband often.
Back stage, she tenderly opened up about their life together and asked me about my life. I could read the fatigue on her as she paused momentarily to connect with me. Soon the next wave of family life would bring two new little ones into their world.
Six Generations of Country Living
I met Miles and Martha right after I began Fireside Talk Radio. I knew instantly I wanted to talk to him about life mission and unity in marriage. What a treat to bring him to you via our interview!
Miles is a native East Texan from Pierce’s Chapel, Texas. Pierce’s Chapel is so small you have to find the small town of Jacksonville first, then hope Pierce’s Chapel is shown nearby on the map. You can tell by Mile’s accent he’s from my neck of the woods, as we say in the country.
They live on land that goes back six generations. Every spring, they return home and some lucky East Texas church scores their Homecoming Service. I met them at Colonial Hills Baptist, where I was baptized as a nineteen year old.
Life Mission Unites Their Individual Gifts Together
“One thing that’s kind of unique with both of us; for me I never thought I’d get married because I didn’t think I would meet anyone who met my requirements,” Miles laughs pausing for affect.
“In terms of having a heart for the ministry like I wanted and needed,” he continues, explaining, “Because with my vision (he’s legally blind) I’m not able to drive. So, I needed someone who was willing to be there every concert. Preferably someone who could take part in the concerts. And, you know, be in it 100% as I would be.” Then, he laughs and adds one more little requirement.
“And also, just a godly person and somebody I could envision being cooped up in a vehicle for tens of thousands of miles.”
“She’s amazing. And beautiful,“ I respond.
“I won’t argue with you there. For me the irony of me being legally blind is it was love at first sight,“ he laughs.
Not so with Martha. She had no intention of marrying, according to the man who had to hang in there long enough to persuade her to reconsider her future.
“Now, for her there were four years of negotiations in order,” he laughs. They went from acquaintances to best friends. In July he persuaded her to go on a date and by December of that year they were married.
A Life Mission Unites and Brings Joy
“So once we got the ball rolling, it rolled really fast. It’s been such a godsend,” he says of the way God prepared her to fit perfectly into their ministry and complement their calling. “She’s not only the driver and the mom, but she’s fantastic at office work and editing, helping me with sermons. She’s an accomplished pianist, arranger, composer, so she just fills a lot of roles.”
Didn’t I tell ya the man has a way of praising and acknowledging his wife? I really love this kind of conversation!
Miles explains Martha originally planned for one kind of ministry. Instead, God turned that idea “on its head.” Now, she’s doing something completely different. Still, all the ways she thought ahead to prepare now bless them as they minister together.
“It’s a wonderful, wonderful joy. We never run out of things to talk about,” he exclaims, adding, “We just really love the road life and have missed it a lot (with COVID) here lately.”
United By A Life Mission
Like me, you may not have what it takes to travel the world singing. Even so, for the rest of us there’s plenty to take away from this unified couple.
- They both honor each other. Nobody gets taken for granted.
- They bring their gifts and talents together as a team.
- Both are committed tot he bigger vision of how they can serve others.
- They are looking ahead to the well-being of others, especially with eternity in mind. This includes their own dear children in particular.
Most importantly, Jesus is the center of their existence together.
The Staying Power of Hymns
With so much talent and so many Christian music genres to choose from now days, I asked Miles to talk about whether hymns still retain their value. Immediately, he pointed to the longevity of hymns as proof of their value.
“So this is what the universal Church would deem as the cream of the crop,” he explains. “These (hymns) articulate the truth and have spoken to denominations all over the world, to generations, to people of all ages, and so there’s a reason they have hung around.” (Here’s a sample of Miles singing some favorite old gospel songs.)
Unity and Music Ministry at Home
Next, I wanted Miles’ thoughts on teaching children to love music.
“Aside from them being in pretty much every concert we do unless it happens to be nap time,” he reports.(Please don’t miss all the rest of what he shared on fostering faith and a love of music in kids!)
But it’s the Pike bedtime ritual that really held my attention. Their twin babes are still too young to sing, but the three year old is rocking bedtime.
“But the last thing right before bed, she wants to do one song she’s never heard before. Thankfully I have such a catalog in my head that I can pull that off,” laughs Miles. “But also we do one that she knows. For months, she fixed on one song and she wanted it every time. She wanted Christ the Lord is Risen Today. So she knows all three verses of that old hymn.”
Okay, that’s just about the sweetest thing I ever heard. Miles and I shared a bunch more happy moments about hymns and kids in the podcast. (Find more on how musically-challenged mommies can inspire music-loving kids with Anna Krafve Pierce.)
Today, make a few minutes to tune in to the podcast for more inspiration from Miles about how hymns can be a catechism for your family. Next week, Miles returns in an episode I’m calling Smarter Kids: Fostering Genius in Your Kids Through Music with Miles Pike, His Wisdom. You won’t want to miss it!
Music, Books, and Spirituality
I am a book nerd. Even as a kid; book-filled libraries put my heart at peace. Spirituality fascinated me. I investigated over 30 religions. But one stood out. All other religions encouraged us to work our way to be good enough for God’s consideration. But not Christianity. Christians told me Jesus came to seek me out. What a revelation!
Not long after, I asked Jesus to show me if He was really alive and resurrected. Today, it is my joy to report that Jesus is definitely alive and better than I ever imagined back then.
Along the way, I developed a love of unity and music. Two things that really go together well to my way of thinking. (For another great blog about how music intertwines with our lives, check out Leading with Music one by my old friend, Mark House, one of the smartest guys I’ve ever known.)
Finally, Happy Father’s Day to all you good men out there. You tell me you read my stuff. I’m always surprised. But guys like Miles are probably one reason why. Thanks for tuning in.
I hope Miles’ thoughts about music and inspiring faith in your children’s hearts blesses you today as much as it did me.
🙂
Cathy
We LOVE to hear from YOU!
Which songs from your childhood left an indelible impression? What truths about faith do you hope to pass on to the next generation? How has your initial mission evolved since you first married?
May we pray together?
Dear Father, You are the one who seeks us out to have relationship with You. Your love is unfailing. You think so far ahead that even before we were born, long before we ever thought about sinning, You already prepared a solution to our selfishness. Help us convey Your unconditional love to our family. Grant us joy as we honor You. Let us sing for joy. Bless us now because that’s Your heart’s desire. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
More Great Quotes
Just for you, I found a couple of other quotes because I love learning things the easy way:
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” ~Aldous Huxley
“A catechism is simply a tool for teaching the fundamentals of the faith. Unlike a creed or confession, a catechism uses questions and answers. Many Protestant confessional traditions, like Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Reformed, have used catechisms for centuries. Initially, most catechisms were intended for children.” ~Kevin DeYoung
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- For Marriage Conversations: https://Amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=1936501562
- For The Well: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B08M4G1Q6Z
Cathy Krafve, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. We invite you to join the Fireside Tribe. Truth with a Texas Twang.
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