Soundtrack of Life Revisited
A few months ago I wrote a post about how God uses music at just the right time in our lives to show us He is with us and bring us comfort. I love those moments when I'm in my car and my radio is tuned to my local Christian station and that song comes on that meets me where I am. It happened again yesterday. It still amazes me and if you've never had this happen to you, maybe you weren't listening.
I took a drive as I often do when I'm feeling blue. There is something about getting out of the tiny apartment and taking Wagsley for a ride that cheers me. My radio wasn't on and I was thinking about Jennifer and her beautiful smile. I asked the question again, "WHY?" Maybe I ask it too much. But I really want to know what the plan is, because I'm so exhausted with the cares of this life. There was silence after my question. I didn't even hear that still small voice that comes from inside like I usually do when I ask my childish questions.
I turned on the radio and it took two seconds to realize what the song was. I've put it at the end of this post. Don't jump to it yet, because I have something to say first. We are all mourning and we mourn differently. Some of us remember good times we shared, while others just see a smile or hear the voice of the one who has left us. For me, my mind goes to questions. The biggest one is "What is Jesus like? Is He as wonderful as I Imagine?" and "Can you see us here?" and "Are you happy?" This song answered all those questions.
I'm not a Bible scholar as I've said before, but I love God's word. I've grown to love it more and more because I find it comforting, enlightening and honestly sometimes very entertaining. We have a gift of living words that never grow old. It is a book of poetry, history, allegory, future promises, and the greatest love story ever written. Why Christians don't cherish it and many question it's relevance is beyond me. It is our God's love letter and it should be read daily.
Maybe you are like me and reading is difficult because your mind tends to stray. I found a solution to this and it has really helped me to spend more time in the word of God. We have these contraptions called smart phones. They have these things called apps. This Church in Oklahoma City developed an app called YouVersion. There are devotionals, which at one time were all that I did, but now I rarely open. It contains a full Old and New Testament in any version you wish to read. You can read the Bible or listen to it read to you on this app. You might be older and the text might be too small on your phone, so the perfect solution is to do as I do. Every night and sometimes during the day, I pick a book I want to hear, press play and then lay down and listen.
The reason I lay down is because if I start doing something or if I'm sitting up with my eyes open I will chase squirrels and not hear a thing. I close my eyes and listen. Those stories that I remember from my youth in Sunday school are retold in a way I don't remember them. I understand the meanings, and see them big-as-life unfold before me. When I play the Psalms, I praise when the Psalmist praises, I feel the urgency of His prayers when He cries out, Why God. But the coolest thing I have discovered when I listen, the theme is always JESUS. I kid you not! He is everywhere in scripture. We can see it because we have the entire finished book. The Psalmist could only hope for what we know to be true.
We are blessed with a God who thought of everything. He designed His plan to redeem us and then told us how He would do it through the words of prophets, poets and historians. Those with faith before Jesus were rewarded. Those with faith at the time of Jesus saw miracles, the greatest was the resurrection. Those with faith after Jesus ascended have hope that can't be destroyed.
We can mourn, and not be embarrassed, because the love we have for the one who has left us connects us to God in a way we cannot fully understand. They have crossed that veil between God and man and are standing face to face with their savior. They no longer feel pain, heartache, loneliness or fear. All their scars are gone. All their sin is gone. Their final destination for eternity has been reached and they can rest.
Imagine Jesus running to embrace your loved one. My sister sent me the painting pictured above. I thought it was so appropriate. That is my little sister hugging the neck of Jesus. I know she is so happy. I Imagine Jesus being equally as happy to finally hug her, his daughter, his prize as she is to finally meet Him, her savior, her love.
So while you mourn for Jennifer Lee Ferguson "BooBoo" remember that her life is not over, it has only just really started! Thank you for reading. Close your eyes and listen to the song God played for me to answer my question, "WHY?"
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