Ep. 90 Sleep in Heavenly Peace: How One Bed Can Change a Child's Life with Luke Mickelson

So Luke, how did you come across child bedlessness?

[laughs] You know, it's a good question.

Um, you know, it's a question, if you woulda asked me 14 years ago, you know, um, is that a real thing, I woulda answered just like everybody else, "No, I, I mean, certainly every, every child has a bed, right?" Um, no, it, it was, it was kind of a funny story, you know.

At the time, in my church group, I served as what's called a young men's president, um, kinda like a youth pastor in the South, but, uh, I'm not a, I'm not a pastor.

[laughs]

Okay.

But, um, y- you know, I was responsible for the, um, spiritual growth as well as the activities through the weeks for these boys ages 12 to 17.

And I think because I was a football coach and, and coached all my kids and stuff, I loved working with the youth, it just was a good fit for me.

I enjoyed these boys.

Well, in part of this, part of this position, I sat in meetings, uh, once a month with other auxiliary leaders in the church, and we talked about activities that we were doing and planning, and, and then we started talking about members of, um, the s- congregation as well as the small city I lived in, Kimberly, Idaho, um, uh, the, the people we were helping, right? Um, and th- this one family particularly caught my ear because I'm from a small town, and, you know, growing up in a small town, 4,000 people, I'd been everywhere in the town.

I thought I knew it, you know, like the back of my hand.

Well, they lived in an apartment complex I didn't know existed, which was really interesting, you know, 'cause you're like, "What...

Where's this? I, I thought I knew everything." Um, and, and she was, the mother was a local school bus driver, and the dad, you know, suffered from a little bit of mental health.

He had a hard time holding a job.

So they, you know, they were just on hard times.

Well, they had a couple of kids.

And this, uh, they...

We were going around the room talking about what we're doing for 'em, you know.

Some of the, some of the, uh, uh, leaders were providing meals, and some of them, the church was helping 'em with the rent once in a while.

Well, someone had visited the home and mentioned that the kids were sleeping on the floor.

They didn't have beds.

And I was like, "Wait, wait, wait a minute," you know.

It just kinda caught my, my ear.

I said, "Now, what do you mean they don't have beds? Like, they've got a mattress or, or whatnot?" And they're like, "No, they are literally sleeping on the hardwood floor with blankets." And you know, Rick, it just hit me so hard.

Like, I'd never heard that before, right? And as a father, the first thing you think of is your own kids, at least for me.

So Luke, how did you come across child bedlessness?

[laughs] You know, it's a good question.

Um, you know, it's a question, if you woulda asked me 14 years ago, you know, um, is that a real thing, I woulda answered just like everybody else, "No, I, I mean, certainly every, every child has a bed, right?" Um, no, it, it was, it was kind of a funny story, you know.

At the time, in my church group, I served as what's called a young men's president, um, kinda like a youth pastor in the South, but, uh, I'm not a, I'm not a pastor.

[laughs]

Okay.

But, um, y- you know, I was responsible for the, um, spiritual growth as well as the activities through the weeks for these boys ages 12 to 17.

And I think because I was a football coach and, and coached all my kids and stuff, I loved working with the youth, it just was a good fit for me.

I enjoyed these boys.

Well, in part of this, part of this position, I sat in meetings, uh, once a month with other auxiliary leaders in the church, and we talked about activities that we were doing and planning, and, and then we started talking about members of, um, the s- congregation as well as the small city I lived in, Kimberly, Idaho, um, uh, the, the people we were helping, right? Um, and th- this one family particularly caught my ear because I'm from a small town, and, you know, growing up in a small town, 4,000 people, I'd been everywhere in the town.

I thought I knew it, you know, like the back of my hand.

Well, they lived in an apartment complex I didn't know existed, which was really interesting, you know, 'cause you're like, "What...

Where's this? I, I thought I knew everything." Um, and, and she was, the mother was a local school bus driver, and the dad, you know, suffered from a little bit of mental health.

He had a hard time holding a job.

So they, you know, they were just on hard times.

Well, they had a couple of kids.

And this, uh, they...

We were going around the room talking about what we're doing for 'em, you know.

Some of the, some of the, uh, uh, leaders were providing meals, and some of them, the church was helping 'em with the rent once in a while.

Well, someone had visited the home and mentioned that the kids were sleeping on the floor.

They didn't have beds.

And I was like, "Wait, wait, wait a minute," you know.

It just kinda caught my, my ear.

I said, "Now, what do you mean they don't have beds? Like, they've got a mattress or, or whatnot?" And they're like, "No, they are literally sleeping on the hardwood floor with blankets." And you know, Rick, it just hit me so hard.

Like, I'd never heard that before, right? And as a father, the first thing you think of is your own kids, at least for me.