Legendary NFL linebacker uses Scripture, prayer to survive Panama jungle for TV show
NFL linebacker Mike Singletary is one of the competitors on the CBS reality show “Beyond the Edge,” and the athlete has credited his faith with helping him overcome his fear of the dark jungle.
Singletary, known in the 1980s as the "Heart of the Defense” for the Chicago Bears, joined eight other celebrities in “Beyond the Edge” to raise money for various charities.
The cast of the CBS series also includes NFL star Ray Lewis, country stars Lauren Alaina and Craig Morgan, “Full House'' actress Jodie Sweetin, former “The Bachelor” star Colton Underwood, former NBA player Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), model Paulina Porizkova and lawyer/TV-host Eboni K. Williams.
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The show premiered on March 16, and every Wednesday, the celebrities endure brutal conditions for a chance to raise money for the charity of their choice.
Although he faced tough challenges on the field, Singletary told Patheos reporter Kate O'hare that it was his faith in Christ that helped him brave the little things that kept him up nights while competing in the jungles of Panama.
“The biggest thing I had was sleeping,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee said. “I just felt like I don’t care what happens during the day. If I can see it, I can do something about it, I can react. But when I’m sleeping, that’s the thing I was concerned about. ... Of course, I got back home with a ton of bites all over the place.”
Singletary said he clung to his faith, especially when he had to leave his hut in the darkness of the night and in the early mornings to take bathroom breaks. The Super Bowl XX winner said he was frightened by the unseen creatures lurking about.
“I just began to pray about it. ‘Lord, what do I fear here?’ … God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a strong mind,” he maintained. "To be able to realize, ‘Hey, God created this.'”
He recalled God’s voice in his head, saying, “I created that. Yeah, I know it’s dark, but I created all that. So, trust me, get up and go ahead and do what you got to do. Take care of business. I’m with you.”
Singletary kept the mindset that God created everything in the jungle until the time he left. He said this mentality helped him walk “differently.”
“That jungle that I was in, and all the animals and everything else, my Father created this. This is part of my domain, and I can walk differently," he contended.
“I don’t have to walk like I own the place, but take a stick and protect yourself if you have to. But, it was a kind of transformation while I was there, in that process.”
Singletary participated on behalf of Changing Our Perspective, a charity he founded along with his wife, Kim.
The charity's website says it exists to help tackle the “educational and social-emotional disparities plaguing America’s youth by incentivizing consistency and rewarding effort.”
Singletary’s organization aims to “equip and empower adolescents with the ability to thrive autonomously as students and ultimately as the next generation of leaders.”
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: jeannie.law@christianpost.com She's also the author of the book, What Is Happening to Me? How to Defeat Your Unseen Enemy Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
