Looking Beyond

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a burning desire to tell others about the love of Jesus Christ.  As an adult, I yearn for God to swing wide the doors of opportunity for me to minister even more to people around the world.  What about you?  Do you long for something more?  Is there a tugging at your heart to accomplish something bigger than yourself?  Beyond our occupation, our family, our friends, we are all here for a greater purpose.  God has placed us on this earth to fulfill a divine calling in our lives.  We are here to tell others about Jesus Christ and his love.  Just as we look beyond a picturesque sunset and anticipate the dawning of a brand new day, we must look beyond our current circumstances and fix our eyes on Jesus Christ.

Recently, I read the story of how the song, “Beyond the Sunset,” was written.  Virgil Prentiss Brock penned the words one evening in 1936 after a conversation at the dinner table.  The topic of conversation was an unusually gorgeous sunset at Winona Lake in Indiana, despite the storm clouds looming overhead.  Virgil’s blind cousin, Horace Burr, commented that it was the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen.

Virgil said to his cousin, “People are always amazed when you talk about seeing.”  Horace replied, “I can see.  I see through other people’s eyes, and think I often see more; I see beyond the sunset.”  Virgil said the phrase “beyond the sunset” and the striking inflection of his cousin’s voice struck him profoundly.  He immediately began singing the first few lines of the song.  Before they had even finished their meal, the entire song was written.

I must say that this story left me speechless.  This gentleman who could not see ultimately had greater vision than those with perfect eyesight.  He did not focus on the impending thunderstorm.  Instead, he focused on the true beauty.  He saw more than a lake, a sunset, and storm clouds.  His sight was not limited by the horizon.  He could look beyond the physical limitations of this world in order to catch a glimpse of something that was seemingly Heavenly.  He knew that even in the sunset, there was sunshine awaiting him.

I invite you to listen to my song, "There's Sunshine Awaiting You."

How many times in life do we look at our current situation and begin to succumb to a state of hopelessness and despair?  Perhaps you see your children hanging out with the wrong crowd.  Instead of asking God for help, your mind first goes into a tailspin of all of the possible outcomes.  Will they try drugs, participate in underage drinking, have sex before marriage, or even get arrested?  Once the myriad of possibilities stop running through your mind, that’s when you finally stop to pray about it.  Since when did prayer become the last possible course of action?  Prayer should be our first line of defense, not our last resort.

We should not dwell on the problems of this earth.  Instead, we need to pray and have faith that God is working all things together for our good (see Romans 8:28).  Jesus Christ is the answer to every problem in life.  Hebrews 12:2 says we should fix our eyes on Jesus.  It does not say to look around the world to see if there is a better alternative.  It clearly says to look at Jesus, “the perfecter of faith.”  Even when we do not see a way out and our own vision clouds our view, he will strengthen our faith and help us see the way out.  Every day, we need to stay focused on Jesus.  Only then will we be able to fulfill the calling that the Lord has placed on our lives.

You may be thinking I don’t have a calling.  I’m not a pastor, a Sunday school teacher, a musician, a singer, a choir director, a deacon...  As Christians, we each have a calling on our lives.  This calling may not require us to have a leadership role within the church.  Our mission may be to write notes of encouragement to those who are grieving, to help serve meals at the local homeless shelter, to volunteer to clean the church, or countless other ways we could serve the Lord.  God may be calling you to be a prayer warrior, going to the throne of grace on behalf of people who are sick, battling addictions, or enduring heartache of some kind.  Ask God to show you what he wants you to do.

When we get to Heaven, individuals who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).  What does a servant do?  They work.  In the same way, we should devote our lives to the work of the Lord.  The Bible says we should do everything we do as unto the Lord.  That means everything we do should be done for God, not for man.  So whether you are mowing the lawn for your neighbor, donating clothes to the church clothes closet, or helping collect items for someone who lost their home due to a fire, always complete the task as if you were working for our Heavenly Father.  He gave his only Son to die on a cross for our sins.  He gave his best.  We should strive daily to give our best to him in return.

The Hoppers, a Southern Gospel singing group, sing a song titled, “We’ll Work ‘Till Jesus Comes.”  That is exactly what we are called to do.  We are called to share the Good News with everyone we meet, whether we are standing on the platform at church or standing in the checkout lane at the grocery store.  Looking at the headlines, it is imperative that we tell people about Jesus and how he died to save them from their sins and give them the gift of eternal life.  The return of Jesus Christ is closer than ever before, yet there are so many people who do not have this blessed hope.  We need to be “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).  It should be our primary goal in life to share this blessed hope with everyone we meet.

Perhaps you think this is the pastor’s job.  Or maybe you feel an evangelist would be able to explain the Gospel more eloquently.  But what about the people who will not go to church or attend a revival?  How can someone hear about the Lord unless someone tells them?  Will you be the one to answer the call that God has placed on your life?  Will you take time to visit someone, to write to someone, to talk to someone and tell them about the saving grace of Jesus Christ?  You are the only Bible some people will ever read.  If you do not tell them about Jesus, they may never be able to look beyond their circumstances.  They may never know the joy of looking beyond the sunset.  Don’t let the impending storm clouds get in your way.  Set your eyes on Jesus Christ.  Allow him to use you according to his perfect will.  I can guarantee that your life will be forever changed when you start looking beyond the shortcomings of this world and begin focusing on the amazing plan God has for your life!

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer

Stuck in the Sunset

When I was a teenager, I wrote a song titled, “There’s Sunshine Awaiting You.”  The moment I finished writing the song, I knew that God himself had given me the lyrics.  Why?  Because the song had a message that transcended the limits of my understanding at this period of my life.  You see, the first verse talks about a mother who has lost her child.  While I have known people who have gone through this same trial, I have not personally experienced this sort of tragic loss firsthand.  Still, God knew that my Mom was the one who needed to hear the lyrics to this song at this exact moment in her life.  She was the first one who heard the song, and the first one who cried as she listened.  I immediately knew that God had a hand in this one.  Little did I know then that this song would one day hold a more significant meaning to me personally.  More than a decade later, I would find myself stuck in the sunset.

When I was a little girl, my two little brothers were born prematurely and passed away as infants.  I am almost certain that this is why the first verse of my song touched my Mom’s heart in such a special way.  As I sang the song repeatedly over the years, and even recorded it on my very first cassette, I was so humbled to see that it was ministering to people on so many levels.  I enjoyed singing it, I thought the soundtrack was beautiful, and I knew the lyrics were anointed.  Still, I could not personally identify with the lyrics of the song, having never been through such a dark time in my life.  I had always been the one to smile, no matter what.  I could always see a glimpse of sunshine, even behind the darkest storm cloud.  Truth be told, I had not yet seen the darkest storm cloud at this time in my life.

I had witnessed the death of more close friends and loved ones than most people I knew had even been to funerals.  Brothers, grandfathers, a grandmother, aunts, uncles, and other friends and relatives…so many loved ones going on to be with the Lord.  But, even in the midst of the loss we experienced, my Mom, Dad, and I remained a close-knit Christian family.  No matter what happened around us, we knew that the three of us would love and support each other through sunshine and rain.  We were like the Three Musketeers.  And I had faith that God would always keep us together, no matter what storms brewed overhead.  On August 2, 2008, the darkest storm of my life came upon me as suddenly as a tornado can flatten an entire town.  There was no warning, there were no goodbyes, and there was nothing my Dad or I could do to silence the violent storm.

Since that tragic night, God has spoken to my heart on several occasions.  I still don’t have all of the answers.  I don’t understand why my Mom is not nearby, waiting to read the next entry of my blog, a blog she never had the opportunity to read.  And cannot tell you why my Dad and I are not living in this house as a family of five, my Mom and younger brothers still with us.  What I do know is that God has a perfect plan for our lives.  He walks with me in the sunshine and in the sunset.  He holds my hand, whether I am climbing mountains, traversing a rocky terrain, or wading through a raging river.  Psalm 23:4 (NIV) says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  I will not be afraid of what tomorrow may bring because I know that God will comfort me in all of my tomorrows.  He gives me His perfect peace and He shines forth His light, even though the sun has set.  And I know He will continue to bring forth the vibrant sunshine in my life once again, in His timing.

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to sing at my home church on Mother’s Day.  For many singers, I am sure this would not be a problem.  For me, it is another story.  The moment I was asked, a red flag shot up.  I thought, no…no, I can’t do that.  I can happily sing any other Sunday, but not that one.  I think the pastor must have seen the look in my eyes similar to a deer caught in the headlights, and he quickly asked if it would be too difficult for me.  I’ll be honest with you.  My first response would have been, yes, it would be virtually impossible for me to sing on Mother’s Day.  And I am sure the pastor would have accepted this, and asked me to sing at another time.  Yet, something tugged at my heart and immediately, I knew that this was something I must do.

As I told the pastor that I would sing, I pondered the song that I would share on this day on which we honor our mothers.  So, I thought about what I would sing if my Mom could be in the congregation on this special occasion.  And of course, the answer was simple.  I would sing, “There’s Sunshine Awaiting You.”  Now, I had not sung this song since my Mom’s funeral.  So, I quickly began seeking God for a different answer other than the one I knew He had given.  I mean, I couldn’t sing on Mother’s Day, much less sing this song.  Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought, what is God thinking?  Well, this was one of those moments for me.  Since I was asked to sing, I have run through the song twice.  The first time I ran through the song, I heard the lyrics in a new light.  My song was ministering to me.  I realized that I had been stuck in the sunset.  And that is why I need to sing this song.  Sure, when I stand up on the platform on that particular Sunday, I will likely blubber as I introduce the song and I am sure pitch will have a new meaning when I reach the song’s end.  But, sometimes serving the Lord isn’t about eloquent speech or perfect pitch.  Sometimes it’s simply about answer His call, no matter how difficult it seems.

Even when we’re stuck in the sunset, we have the assurance that there is sunshine awaiting us.  Although it may seem unbearable at times, we need to be faithful to the One who created us.  He will bring us to a place of rest, away from the storms of life that overwhelm us.  The lyrics of my song speak about seeing a sunset that seems forever, and how difficult it is to face grief and pain.  This sunset that you find yourself in may seem long-lasting, but it is not forever.  When you reach the lowest, darkest valley, God will bring you to your knees.  When you cannot go on one more mile, God will carry you through each and every storm.  If you find yourself stuck in the sunset, rest assured that there’s sunshine awaiting you.

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer