Welcome back to another edition of Struggling Well. as we have thought about this week and what we wanted to say. I'm going to turn to my wife's journey with the Lord, which has been for 58 years since she asked.
I wish I could say I was two when I accepted Jesus, but that's not true.
That's not true. No, it's not. We're not going to talk about age.
No, not at all.
So, because Suzi, I know you well, and you've said this many times on the podcast that one of the things that has been obviously a huge part of that journey, those 58 years, is the study of the word of God. which you do regularly, diligently. You did it
formally in a Bible college for four years, but informally, you've done it for those 58 years.
but not just the words of scripture, also part of the role that's played in your development has been music.
Yeah.
And your love of music. And recently we were in a service and this hymn that was lyrics written by Isaac Watts in 1707 So that's a few years ago.
came and was sung. It's when I surveyed the wondrous cross and it created a visceral reaction for you which I wasn't sure why. And then as you explained it, it made perfect sense.
We have to go way back. and this will be a time when I'll probably for the first time share my story in this podcast. and if my brother is listening as I hope he does. he'll understand and resonate with much of my story. but he and I grew up in a home where my parents had an interesting marriage. That's a kind way to put it. My dad came from a large family. My mom came from a wealthy Cuban family. And so their marriage was two completely opposite people socially, economically in every way. That did not make for a great home life unfortunately, but I grew up in a denomination where there was a lot of icons and relics and a lot of ritual and even in the midst of that I had I had this curiosity and hunger to know God. I just really desired to know him. some of it was born out of the fact that things were just crazy at home. A lot there wasn't a lot of light, physical light in my home. a lot of loneliness. My brother is four years older than me and so his life was ahead of mine as far as activities and school and all that kind of stuff. And so, I personally was alone a fair amount. And I started going, somebody invited me, it could have been my brother, invited me to this youth meeting. There's a lot more history, but I'm going to bring you faster to the point. He invited me to this youth ministry, and the name of it was crazy. You're going to laugh. It was called Wing And that was every Tuesday night in the summertime about 500 kids would arrive via church buses from all over New Jersey, which is where I'm from. We would arrive to this family's many acre farm. And the whole family that owned this farm, they were all solid Christians from the parents to the kids. And the kids were in their 20s at that time. And so we would go and we would play these rockus fun games and there were just a lot of people from all over New Jersey and then there would be a message that one of the one of the kids in particular would give and he would share the gospel and then there would always be music. Now coming from the denomination that I came from there wasn't any music that we all sang together at that time in the church. So for me my love of music which I had already started with regular music you know, the stars of the day. I loved listening to music. which you guys wouldn't even know who they were now. That's how old I am. Oh, we weren't going to talk about age. Forgot about that.
Anyway, there were two songs that were repeated all the time. And one was Fairest Lord Jesus, that hymn. And then there was this one that Jimmy just referred to. and so the other night when it was played, my visceral reaction was I went back to sitting in that barn, not knowing Jesus, hearing the wondrous cross, and realizing that I had no idea what any of that meant, but I yearned so much to connect to God in some way. And in 1967, I was home alone. don't know where my parents were at that evening, but I was home alone and I was woken up awoken at about 3:00 in the morning and all I know is that all I remember is that I sat up in bed and said, "God, I don't understand this. I don't understand all the things that you are and who you are and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I don't understand any of it. But I know this. I know that I want to know you. I'm a sinner and I'm asking you to forgive me."
Yeah.
And have your son come into my life.
Yeah. And what's amazing, I mean, your whole journey is an amazing journey to me. as is everybody's who comes to Christ, but, so the lyrics written by a man in 1700s
touched you as a teenager growing up in America.
And I know that sometimes music becomes divisive because of the style, the beat, all the rest. But the lyrics of that hymn, although maybe you could musically do it in a more current manner, the words are just they're rich. When I surveyed the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride. And then later on he says, see from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did air such love and sorrow meet or thorn compose so rich a crown, it's just timeless words
as Isaac Watts described the crucifixion of Jesus. And, I don't know that you can improve upon the lyrics.
And imagine a young girl sitting there hearing the gospel for that summer for the very first time and having gone to church my whole life.
Yeah.
and seeing Jesus on the cross, not a bear cross, but on the cross. and praying to different saints and icons for some kind of connection to hear those words. And so the other night when I heard that song, my reaction was I felt overwhelming joy that God, the God of the universe that created everything that we see, the God who sent his son, sent his son for me and other people as well. I'm not taking away from anybody else's story, but I was it just overwhelmed me and I had I could not stop crying. I cried with such joy and that hasn't happened in a while, but the basics of what happened to me back when I was 16 years old that changed the trajectory of my life, it did not take away it didn't make my family into this you know, Southern Living magazine family. It nobody all the you know, things that were bad at home didn't change. But the difference was that even though I was walking through hard times and hard valleys that I was no longer I had I had a father, I had a savior and I had the spirit living in me. And I have doubted a lot of things, Jimmy, and you know that I've doubted a lot of things in my life. Mostly about myself is what I doubt. But I have never once doubted that day, August 7th, 1967, when Jesus came into my life and radically changed.
Yeah.
Everything.
Yeah. It's an amazing story which I've had a front row seat for the last 50 years of watching that story unfold and continue. And as you're listening to this, we don't know where your heart is at in your relationship with God. If you have a relationship with him through his son, Jesus, our encouragement would be that you settle that question. before the day is out that you accept God's incredible gift of his son poured out on a cross raised from a grave to bring life.
It doesn't mean that all of life goes smoothly. It simply means you have the hope of eternity in Jesus. And our prayer is that's real reality for you this day. Have a great day.