Seeing The Higher Purpose

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:13

It was like a big family reunion.  As I walked down the line of people waiting to sign the guest register, I hugged the majority of people whom I had not seen in years and who had not seen each other since high school or Sunday School class.  We had gathered in a familiar sacred space to celebrate a life lived for Jesus. 

All who came had been touched by Jan’s love for Jesus, her singing, her leading, her joy for life and her involvement in the activities of life with her family and friends.  Each person in the room had a story they could tell.  Each life was enriched because Jan had walked with them for a moment or journeyed with them for a lifetime.

The celebration was full of music not to be performed but to glorify and worship the Lord.  You could feel the presence of the Spirit in each person who sang and played.  Surely the presence of the Lord was in this place.  Each word spoken was shared from a heart that had been loved by Jan.  Through the tears were also smiles of joy for the life of Jan that reflected Jesus to each person in the room.

The music was a journey through Jan’s life. She began singing almost before she could talk in full sentences.  Jesus was her dearest friend her entire life.  Jan radiated the love of Jesus in every smile, every welcoming word, and every note she played and sang.  Jesus was her life.  As Psalm 23:1 states, in Jan’s favorite version – “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.”  She had everything she needed when she kept her eyes on Jesus.

Jan was also a prayer warrior – always praying for the needs of others.  She kept a prayer notebook and wrote down the names of the people who asked for prayer, and she faithfully prayed for them and would follow up on the need.  She prayed with her music students, her Bible study group, her friends.  When Jan prayed, she ended her prayers – “God you are good.  I love you. Amen.”  Many times, Jan prayed with her eyes wide open as if she were gazing directly into the eyes of Jesus as she talked with him.

We had gathered to celebrate Jan and her love for Jesus.  Her life had meaning and purpose in so many ways.  The higher purpose was to bring others into the saving grace of Jesus.  Jan’s desire was that her life would reflect the love of Jesus and bring people to know the depth of God’s love and grace.  God’s love provides a way to redeem each of us.  God’s love is the cross of Jesus by which we are forgiven.  Jesus’ resurrection conquered death and is the promise of eternal life with Him.

Jan surrendered her life to Jesus and walked with Jesus in the struggles and in the joys of life.  Even in the dying, when she could not feel Jesus with her because of the pain of cancer, she relied on others to pray and lift her up.  Her foundation of faith was still present even when she did not feel Jesus.  As she neared Heaven, her witness and faith became stronger because she was ready to see Jesus face to face.  God began lifting the veil between Heaven and earth, and Jan received glimpses of Heaven with its gravel road, and nature being so unique from what she witnessed on earth, and the walls of Heaven.  Revelation 21:18 tells us – “The wall was built of jasper.”  The walls of Heaven are God’s protection where evil cannot penetrate and where God dwells.  Jan was experiencing God opening up Heaven and God inviting her into His loving protection.

Jan began seeing.  One of the songs Jan’s daughter, Mindy, sang at the celebration of life was a song Jan sang many times on The Walk to Emmaus Spiritual Weekend – “I Can See.”  The words of the last part of the song are -

“Yes, I can see who walks with me.  I can hear who speaks my name.  I can feel something stirring in my heart.  How His words ring strong and true, like a once familiar strain. And I know I’ll never be the same.”

“I can see and from that moment in time, I felt the emptiness subside.  And all the wonder of creation shining through.  And for that first time in my life, I really looked into His eyes, and I saw eternity and suddenly I knew.  Yes, I can see.”

Jan walked into Heaven and her eyes were open – she saw for the first time Jesus face to face. Jan looked into His eyes, and for the first time she truly saw Jesus.  She saw the One who walked with her all her life.  The One who spoke her name.  The One who stirred her heart.  The One she sang about and lived within her heart.  Jan saw Jesus all her life.  While her purpose was to share Jesus through her music and her love, her higher purpose was to help others truly see Jesus.

It was through Jan, that I saw Jesus.  Jesus has lived in my heart all my life, and I have worshipped and given my life and my purpose to serve Jesus. But it was through Jan, that I learned to look into the eyes of Jesus.  I can see who walks with me and speaks my name. 

Jan’s higher purpose was to help everyone who came in contact with her to see Jesus.  I believe Jan fulfilled her higher purpose.  We each have this higher purpose to help others see Jesus.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Check out my book on Grief -

Living in The Different

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