Reminiscing

A few days ago, after the kids were in bed, I put on headphones and listened to K-LOVE while cleaning the kitchen. The first song to come on was Chris Rice’s “Come to Jesus”

Oh man, I had not listened to that song since 2004. Usually when I hear it come on the radio, I switch stations or turn it off.  Simple reason; I cannot get through this song without crying.

Backstory:  In 2004/5 I was an exchanges student in Clay Center Nebraska. I got to live with a wonderful Christian family in a small town and experience the American way of live. I loved it. But on a Saturday morning in late November, my mom called me to inform me that my grandma’s sister had died. Now you have to know my grandma’s sister had never been married, so she lived with my grandma and grandpa and was truly like another grandma to all of us.  It was a huge shock. Obviously I shared these news with my host parents and I remember vividly sitting on my bed and my host dad coming to talk to me. He hugged me (he is a hugger) and told me to just think about that song and the last verse saying:

“And with your final heartbeat,

kiss the world goodbye

then go in peace, and laugh on Glory’s side,

and fly to Jesus,

fly to Jesus,

fly to Jesus and live.”

Those words have never left me.

Even after so many years, the tears still come at the memory of that night. And the significance those words had. I wish though I had listened to the song over these last years because there is more than one verse. 

Being with Jesus is not just something to look forward to, when you are dying. HE wants to be part of your life now. HE wants to be there in the joy and in the sorrow and through the laughter and tears. In the hardship and when life is as sweet as can be. I needed to hear that. And more importantly, the people who don’t have a relationship with Jesus need to hear that.  

This is exactly why John and I are doing what we are planning to do. Because there are so many people in Germany who live in this religious backdrop but the personal relationship is missing. There are so many people living their lives, alone, not knowing about the saving grace that could carry them through until the end. We hope and pray that we will be used by God to share HIS love with the people of Germany and hopefully break through the ignorance, arrogance, rejection and distrust. I hope that this song inspires you to live this live with Jesus; every day of it, every high and every low, until you “fly home”.

On a different note, we enjoyed a trip to the Omaha Zoo today. Finley loved running around and looking at EVERYTHING! Elea was happy to see all of her favorite animals. Her favorite animal today was the okapi.