Here I sit getting ready for Valentine’s Day. Grateful that I have a wife and children to celebrate the day away. I am not one that looks forward to the holiday, just not the mushy type. It brings me to this series of thoughts. Sunday evening service we did love songs for Jesus from us. The catch was that they had to be mainstream. It was actually beautiful service. We had songs by the Beatles, Sammy Kershaw, Jamie Grace, Glee Cast, Barry Manilow, Martina McBride, Wicked the Broadway Musical, and Nickelback. It was quite an interesting look at all the different tastes of music. Now the Barry Manilow came from a 13-year-old in our youth, not an older member. He loves all sorts of music. I personally choose Nickelback, Savin Me. Why? Let me explain. Have you ever sat down and listened to the word and not the music? Well, I did. A line from the song reminds me of how far I was fallen. It goes:
Oh, I reach for you
Well I’m terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can’t hold my soul in
All I need is you
Come please I’m callin’
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I’m fallin’, I’m fallin’
That is exactly what I did when I fell as far as I could without death. I called and He did come for me. He came with a force that I have never felt before. The song continues:
Heaven’s gates won’t open up for me
With these broken wings, I’m fallin’
And all I see is you
These city walls ain’t got no love for me
I’m on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And oh I scream for you
Come please I’m callin’
And all I need from you
Hurry I’m fallin’, I’m fallin’
I used to think that I would be on the outside looking in through Heaven’s gates because they would never open up for me. Boy was I wrong! He has shown me that the gates will open for me as long as I stay true to Him. That is just an outstanding feeling. Now, I am nowhere near perfect and I don’t need to be for Him. I just have to love Him and try to do right for Him. That is what makes it outstanding. I am not going to throw a bunch of bible verses toward you because there is one that says it all.
John 3:16—For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Michael J McCluskey 