Introducing Mardell Coleston

Mardell Coleston was 9 years old when I first met him. He walked into our Sunday School class and our Sunday School teacher introduced him to us. Mardell was a tall kid for ten years old. He was taller than most of the 10-year olds in the class. He was dark skinned and skinny. He had an old man's haircut. His hair cut was not like the hair cuts of the time. He had no lines in his hair. His suit looked like something my 38-year-old father would have worn when he was a kid. Mardell wore the suit with pride. There was something about him. He seemed older than ten. I don't know what is was, but he just seemed older than he was. Our Sunday School asked him to introduce himself. He said, "Hello. My name is Min. Mardell Coleston. I was a member of Hines Temple COGIC in Rysar before we moved here. God has been good to me and I am glad that I can be here with you all." I wanted to do the same thing that Jamie did, but I didn't have the guts. Jamie raised her hand. Our Sunday School teacher asked her what she wanted. Jamie replied, "You sure you 10? Don't no 10 year olds I know talk like that." Mardell responded, "I have been blessed to grow up around older saints, so I tend to act older than my age." I just stared at Mardell. I had never seen a kid like him before. It was like my grandmother says, "Hum, I see that boy done caught yo' tention."