The very first person Callie and I met when we came to Sunflower County three-and-a-half years ago was Malone Phillips.
We had accepted the job here at The E-T, and we were looking for a house.
Not knowing yet if we had time to buy or if we needed to rent for a little while, we contacted Charles Davis, who put us in touch with Malone.
We drove over on a Saturday morning, and he met us at the Dollar General in Moorhead.
Then we followed him for most of the day, looking at houses from Moorhead to Inverness to Indianola.
I think we probably took up most of his Saturday that day looking at over a dozen houses, but he never complained. He was kind, caring and honest about each house.
After a period of time living in Indianola, we learned that the same young real estate and insurance agent was battling kidney disease and was in need of a transplant.
We added Malone, along with his family, to our prayer list, and before long, we learned that he was approved for a new kidney, which he eventually received from his father, Guy Phillips.
Over the course of the past year, we’ve gotten to know Malone and his family better through youth soccer. His oldest, August, played on our youngest daughter’s team this past fall.
A little less than two weeks ago, we learned that Malone is now fighting the effects of COVID-19.
He is in a Jackson hospital, and he was placed in ICU a few days ago. This past Monday night, First United Methodist in Indianola held a virtual prayer vigil for Malone.
He indeed needs the prayers of the community this Christmas, along with his wife Lynsey and their two kids.
Pray for the entire Phillips family.
If you’re not a prayerful person, take time to offer some words of encouragement.
After nearly a year of this pandemic, we all know that this situation is serious.
Pray that Malone is healed.
Pray for peace for his wife, children parents and siblings this week.
Pray for his medical team.
Pray for our community as we continue to deal with the scourge of this virus.
Of all the things that have been stripped from us these past 10 months, we still have the gift of prayer.
That’s something that cannot be taken away, and it is perhaps the most powerful thing that we all possess.
