This I Know...

As I have mentioned before, I sometimes struggle to pay attention in church... It's not that I struggle to pay attention... I just am not always super interested and engaged in the sermon. But I listen and take notes and look up the bible verses... Today's sermon was given by the older pastor at church. I followed along and took notes. The sermon was decent, but there was one thing that just tore me apart... He was telling a story about a very productive day of "Doing Good" for the Lord. He went on and on as he usually does with his stories (he loves to tell stories... and there are usually at least 5 or 6 stories in his sermons) and shared about a precious moment that he had with his mother and some of her friends. Now, this pastor, like I said, is the older pastor at my church. He has to be in his 70's. The women (his mother included) all were 95 and older. I sort of tuned out and didn't really know why he was there or how it came up, but he said that in the lull of the conversation he just started singing...

Jesus Love me this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus Loves me

Yes, Jesus Loves me

Yes, Jesus Loves me

The Bible tells me so

We all know the song.The whole church quietly joined in while he sang it in front of church in the middle of his sermon. It was really a sweet moment. But I didn't sing along. It took everything in me to hold back the tears that were fighting their way out of my tired eyes. You see, this song reminds me of my Grandma. 

I can remember her sweet voice, quietly singing me songs when I was little (The Three Bears, Jesus Loves Me, Bushel and a Peck... among many others). And as I sat there alone in church, and watched his elderly man sing this song and describe how he sat there singing this song with this elderly mother and her friends, I couldn't help but think about who my grandma used to be. She had so much joy. She was bold and confident in her faith. Even when she started loosing her memories and control over her own body and thoughts, she still trusted that God is greater and bigger and has a plan that is better than our own. I thought of the texts I would get from my mom and dad saying how quickly she was declining but still sharing the precious little moments when they would play old hymns for her. And even though she could not hold a conversation, she would hum and sometimes sing along with the songs. 

I miss that. I miss her. I miss my grandma. I miss the person she used to be. I know she is still alive and I am so thankful for the things she has taught me and how she loved me (and still loves me... or at least that's what I like to believe).  

I was thinking about the song. 'Jesus loves me, this I know; for the BIBLE tells me so.' 'Yes, Jesus loves me; the BIBLE tells me so.' The BIBLE tells me so? Now, I know that Jesus loves me. I am very confident in that fact and that is why I live my life the way I do. But I don't think this knowledge has anything (or at least has little to do) to do with the Bible telling me so. I know that Jesus loves me because people SHOW me so. Because my parents have shown me so. Because my friends show me so. And, because my grandma showed me so.

Show someone that Jesus loves them today.