I'd Rather Have Jesus

Last night, after 104 years of life, one of earth’s most beloved saints of old entered the pearly gates for his eternal life.   When a person gets to be that old, you begin to wonder if they are going to outlive all of us.  George Beverly Shea, or as I’ve always called him, “Uncle Bev”, served his Lord and Savior faithfully.  For over half of his life, he served along side Dr.Billy Graham (Uncle Billy to me) leading worship as millions upon millions heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Uncle Bev was part of the same team my Granddaddy, Dr.T.W. Wilson, was on…the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Team.  Growing up, all of the team kids and grandkids adopted the members of the team as uncles and aunts because our families’ lives were so intertwined with each other as they pursued the mission of spreading the gospel all across the world.   

At the age of 23, Uncle Bev composed the music to the song, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.”  23 years old.  I wonder if he ever dreamed of how far that music would reach beyond his reach. I’m not sure he ever dreamed that he would sing before Presidents, royalty, and celebrities in additions to the millions of regular folks like you and me. In addition, I’m not sure that he never imagined he would live 81 years past the year that he composed this song. For as long as I can remember, though, whether in front of millions at a crusade, at a local event, or at his own personal organ inside his home, I have listened to his deep, confident voice sing the words to that old song:

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;

I’d rather be His than have riches untold;

I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;

I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin’s dread sway;

I’d rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;

I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;

I’d rather be true to His holy name

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;

He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;

I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead

I don’t know many 23 year olds who would rather have Jesus than anything.  As a 29 year old, I am challenged to think twice about the things that I want in comparison with Jesus.  There are so many times when we get caught up in the trite activities and happenings of everyday life, that we are often left feeling overwhelmed.  We chase after so many things.  Jobs come. Jobs go. Friends come. Friends go.  Physical strength comes. Physical strength goes. Dream vacations come. Dream vacations go. Fame comes. Fame goes. Acceptance comes. Acceptance goes.  Beauty comes. Beauty goes.  Sooner or later, though, all that this world has to offer goes. 

But one thing remains.  Nothing compares with that one thing…that one person, rather.  Jesus.Jesus. Jesus. He remains when all is peeled away.  Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.

During some of my Daddy’s dying breaths, Uncle Bev hobbled into his hospital room with a walking cane to lean over the bed and sing in his ear, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  He then said in his comforting, yet booming voice, “He loves you, Jerry.” All Daddy could do was mouth the word, “Yes.” 

It’s that simple.  Jesus.  He’s all we need.  He’s the only desire that will satisfy.  He loves us.  When all that this world has to offer leaves us distracted, He offers us more than we could imagine or deserve.   He offers us His perfect love and forgiveness.

Last night, as the thunder rolled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Uncle Bev finally beheld face to face the one he proclaimed in front of millions that he’d rather have than anything: Jesus.  And surely he must have fallen on the knees of his new body and said, “My God, how great thou art!”

I want to leave you with some of the words to “The Love of God”, which Uncle Bev sang at my parents’ wedding and later, my dad’s funeral. 

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure-

The saints’ and angels’ song.

God’s love reached beyond the grave to bring us eternal life. Friend, if you want to reach beyond your reach, the love of God must be the power that fuels you. Nothing else matters.  I would rather have Jesus than anything.  That’s why I want to reach beyond my reach. I want you to know Him too. Do you know that Jesus loves you?  Do you know that?  He loves you so much. 

I hope that one day you’ll join in the song that Uncle Bev truly meant with all of his heart and say, “I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”

PS...I hope you'll take the time to watch and listen to this video of Uncle Bev singing, "I'd Rather Have Jesus."  Interestingly enough, this happens to be from the very first Billy Graham Crusade I ever attended...Columbia, SC 1987.

From Hollywood to Dollywood

Last weekend we were in Pigeon Forge, TN with some of my closest college friends and their families.  It was such a nice retreat in the mountains and wonderful to catch up with some who hold a dear spot in my heart.  We all split the cost of a nice cabin, but it was definitely a splurge for us.  So, we tried to make the trip as economical as possible because of a tight budget.

One day we decided that we wanted to go up the road to Gatlinburg and visit where David asked me to be his girlfriend almost eight years ago.  If you’ve ever been to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg you know there’s a bounty of stopped traffic.  We decided that rather than waste gasoline; we would ride the trolley for 75 cents a piece to the Gatlinburg Welcome station and then another 50 cents each to the heart of the town.

As we were preparing to board the trolley, an older man who appeared well weathered from life joined the line directly behind us.  We chatted about the crazy weather changes that had occurred over the last few days and while it was in the upper 60’s at that moment, we had driven through snow just two days prior.  This sparked the whole conversation.  He asked where we were from. When we told him of our town in Virginia, he remarked, “Well, isn’t there a big church there?” Surprised, we answered with a yes and shared that David was also a Professor at the University it is affiliated with.  “I tell you, I sure love this place. There are so many Godly people in this town.  You don’t find that as much where I came from,” he said.

We boarded and he sat right by us.  After introducing ourselves, we learned that his name was also David.  As the bus driver pulled out, we listened to his story with wide eyes.   He grew up three doors down from Columbia Pictures in Hollywood.  As a boy, he met John Wayne, Gregory Peck, and many others.  He worked for many years as a social worker.  At some point in his adult life, he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized at a Southern Baptist Church in California.  He indicated that he had some struggles after that point that moved him further away from the Lord than he would have preferred, though.

Seven years ago, after retiring, he decided he wanted to get out of the busy life of Los Angeles and move to the Smokies.  I quipped, “Well, you picked the wrong place to live if you wanted to escape hustle and bustle!” He laughed and said that he had no idea what the area was really like until he actually moved here.  He had moved to Townsend, TN, which is in the mountains just outside of Pigeon Forge/Sevierville.   Familiar with the area from a previous river-tubing trip with my David, I remarked about what a pretty place it was.

It was then that he began to share about the experience that has led him to truly trust Jesus for E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

Not too long ago, in October of 2012, he was away for the weekend.  When he returned home to his condo in Townsend, it was not there anymore. Neither were his truck and all of his belongings.  The only things present were the fire department and ashes.  He had lost all of his worldly possessions.  He asked the fireman, “But what about my clothes?” They were gone.  He had hit rock bottom.  The only way to go was up, but his energy was scarce after being broadsided with his new reality. He was weak.

Thankfully, he had made some friends who were fellow believers prior to this.  Little by little, his spirit was renewed as they surrounded him with encouragement.  Their cheers helped him cross one hurdle after the next.  They would offer words like, “You’re going to make it through this,” “God’s going to get you through this,” and “God will provide,” that fueled his soul no matter how simple the sentiment.  When you’re running on empty, the smallest drop of encouragement can make all the difference in the choice to quite or keep going. 

When I see homeless people, I don’t often expect them to be profound or wise.  I frequently have thought through the years, “Well, why don’t they just go get a job?” That’s a terrible prejudice that God is working on tearing down in my heart.  I’ve learned through many experiences that it’s not nearly as simple as that for many of the people we see living under a bridge or whatever makeshift place they’ve wound up in.  Even most recently with our car episode in West Virginia, I can really see how a bad situation can go to a desperate, nearly hopeless situation. 

David proved my prejudices wrong once again.  He shared stories of God’s faithfulness to provide and not abandon him.  Such as a friend who is on a clean up crew at a group of cabins who gave him leftovers that travelers had left behind.  “I just couldn’t believe it when he showed up with the food folks left! Whole cantaloupes…and bacon,” he marveled. 

He mentioned he was looking for a good church to get involved in and had visited several.  Knowing that First Baptist Sevierville was a good church, I asked if he had tried that one.  He lit up with excitement.  “Why, yes! I was actually there last Sunday [Easter].  They were so kind to me.  They heard my story and when they learned I had lost all of my clothes in the fire, they gave me a voucher for a thrift store they partner with and I was able to get three pairs of pants, three shirts, some shoes, and this great [Tennessee] jacket! I don’t need much.   Just a few clothes.” 

After hearing of the generosity of those believers, he told us that the lady at the little Mom & Pop motel he has been renting has also been so good to work with him on his monthly payments. If his Social Security Check is running late, she knows he is good for it and doesn’t kick him out like many other places would.

With excitement, he told us that he had never owned a cell phone before very recently.  With a big grin on his face that beamed with pride, he pulled a little flip phone out of his pocket and shared that he had been learning all about it recently.  He had made groups on there that included a special one called, “Christian Friends.” 

I asked him if he had thought about picking up a little part time job anywhere and he said he had put out dozens of applications and was eagerly awaiting hearing back, but unfortunately at the mom and pop motel he was staying at, they don’t always answer the phone.  This cell phone was a new tool for him to have in his quest for some extra income.  Dollywood, he told us, was his dream place to work.  I don’t much blame him.  I think that would be the best place in Pigeon Forge to work as well.  From all I hear, they’re awfully kind to their employees.  I know Dolly Parton has sure given back to her hometown and state for that matter. 

After hearing David’s story and chewing on it for a little bit, I briefly shared about my David’s layoff and also about losing my dad to cancer.  I decided to share something that God has reminded me of over and over through those difficult experiences…a quote from Corrie Ten Boom.   “You may never know that Jesus is all you NEED until Jesus is all you HAVE.”  

“Yes! Yes!” he exclaimed with an empathetic heart after hearing these words.  With a glisten in his eyes he remarked, “I was there.  I was there.” 

The kind old man shared how he had struggled so much this winter because he felt trapped in his motel room due to the cold weather outside.  He wanted to get out and see other people, but he couldn’t because he did not have warm enough clothes. “I watched every single commercial on television,” he said.  Soon he began to experience anxiety attacks.  But Jesus reached in and started overcoming his panic with peace.

Soon the conversation turned more lighthearted.  I told him that we really missed our little doggy, Oscar, even though we knew he was in good hands.  I told him the story of how I had wanted a dachshund and David had wanted a lab but we always had wanted to name our dog, Oscar, since our last name was Meyer, and when we found him we knew he was the dog for us.  With a raised eyebrow and huge smile, he said, “My last name is WayMEYER.” 

David Waymeyer.  David Meyer.  My literary mind had a hey day with this.  I know it was no mistake that we met.  David Waymeyer was a parallel character to my David Wayne Meyer.  We could have very easily been in the same sort of spot he was in because of the job loss that we experienced three years ago.  But for some reason, we weren’t. Both Davids were given the opportunity by God to learn the same lesson, though.

He didn’t ask us for a thing. He just shared the gift of his story.

“I think God lets us go through these things sometimes to see how we handle adversity,” David Waymeyer said.  “It isn’t about anything we can do. It’s not about our works.  It’s all about His grace.”

That it is.  I know we’ve had moments of spinning our wheels through times of adversity, trying to get ourselves out of the adversity we’re in.  It never works, though.  The only way out is through His grace.

And with grace, there’s always a way out.

My David wonders if David Waymeyer was an angel. Maybe. But if nothing else, he was an extraordinary character sent into the story the Author of all creation is writing with our lives. 

Cluttered Bathroom Reflections

If your bathroom is anything like mine, it’s a messy holding cell for toiletries, first aid items, makeup, hair styling accessories, and dishes from the previous evening’s midnight snack.  I don’t know how those people with the picture perfect Pinterest bathrooms do it.  Part of my problem is, we went from a double sink to tiny one sink vanity with limited storage.   Things area constantly falling underneath the drawers or scattered upon the countertops. I’m always getting in trouble for leaving the drawers open and resting stuff on top of them.  In fact, my husband often leaves the drawers on his side of the sink out on purpose to try and teach me a lesson.

A few nights ago, I was looking for a specific cream in our lavatory, but was having trouble locating it.   Like always (well unless company is coming and I know they’ll want a tour), there was a bunch of stuff strewn about the counter.  I just wasn’t seeing what I was trying to find. 

Our sink, like most everybody’s sink, sits in front of a mirror.   As I was scanning the cluttered area, my eyes caught the reflection of what I was searching for in the looking glass.  

Life is so much like my untidy bathroom.  It’s full of mess that distracts from what we are looking for…from what we need.  In the midst of a cluttered life, so often we look for God but just don’t see Him for all the chaos in our narrow views.  But that doesn’t mean He isn’t there.  It doesn’t mean He is hiding either.  

When our eyes look beyond the odds and ends that are crowding the spaces of life, we have the opportunity to catch His reflection in so many vessels around us.  Whether it’s through other people, nature, art, music, literature, or even His own Word, He is there.  He’s not reflected through every avenue of this world, but He is omnipresent. Though we cannot quite see the image of His face yet, we can catch His reflection.  And when we do capture a peek of what He looks like, we can rest assured because we have found what our souls are searching for. 

When people see you, do they see the makeup, hair accessories, first aid kits, and dirty dishes from the night before?  Are they seeing the baggage of your day-to-day routines?

Or are they catching a reflection of what they’re looking for? 

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”   2 Corinthians 3:18