You Were There

I was recently watching some home video I took the other day of the kids doing an obstacle course that I had set up for my lesson on the Olympics. When they had all finished and had won their gold medals I played them the National Anthem. As soon as it started to play the song, Alexis stood up a little straighter put her hands behind her back and smiled with radiance. I started the video camera and recorded them listening to the song and Alexis’ precious response.

Tonight I went to watch that clip only to find out with great disappointment that I apparently had not hit the record button and I didn’t actually have that footage. I sat looking blankly at my computer screen with sad frustration for having not attained that beautiful scene. Then ever so softly a thought came to me, “You didn’t miss it, you were there.”

I remember when I was 14 and my family came out on vacation to Colorado. I had never seen a mountain in my life. I took rolls of pictures but no matter how hard I tried I knew I couldn’t capture the beauty I was seeing. No lens was big enough or wide enough to display to those back home what it was like to be on top of a mountain looking down.

This reminds me of Jesus. Oh how I wish there were more words with which I could describe what He means to me, but I can’t convey what I have seen or experienced for there are no words big enough or wide enough to express what it is like to be with Jesus.

I’ve written almost five books, over 1000 pages about the love of the Father and I have still only just begun to scratch the surface. I give my very best to express what He has compelled my heart to speak, and I pray that the Lord would use the hundreds of thousands of words that I have typed to create a picture. A picture that when someone holds it in their hand they will look upon it and long to go there. To see for themselves the beauty of knowing Jesus, of holding His hand, of hearing His voice, of understanding His love.

I can’t convince anyone to follow Jesus or to love Him. You are compelled to follow Him, for reasons you cannot understand.

But I will say this, don’t just experience Jesus though other people’s experiences. These aren’t postcards coming from a vacation spot that you can’t afford to visit. This is a place you personally have been invited to see. No matter how old or how young you are, Jesus is calling to you, longing to take your hand and lead you to places that no camera or video can retell of. And when you find yourself as I, desiring to sharing but unable to find the words with which to do so, take heart for,

“You didn’t miss it… you were there.”