going home

About eight years ago I reconnected with Jim Christianson, an old college teammate of mine (we are old). He had been an attorney. He told me how he was tired of breaking the heart of God and that he had decided to put a smile on God’s face. He had made choices in his life that would be costly, but redeemable.As he sat in front of me I saw a once strong and healthy teammate now reduced to no legs, one eye, and at peace. He was so happy and joyful, something I had not seen for some time in his life.

So I began to visit him from time-to-time three hours away and we would speak each week over the next 8 years. We spoke several weeks ago. He was at Baylor Hospital in Dallas,Texas. Jim told me the doctor had just left this room. He told Jim he would be dead in two weeks to a month. Jim looked at his physician and said, “Oh, no, you have that ALL wrong. You see, I am going “home” this weekend.” Jim died two days later with a smile on his face, content and grace-filled to finally be “home.”

None of my time with Jim was ever about proclamation. It was about presence; being with one another. Jesus in Mark 3:14 “called 12 to be with Him.” We seldom hear much about the value of presence and the purity that it embraces. No agenda and no ulterior motives. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for “word” and for proclamation for Mark 3:14 says that in time, these 12 would be sent out to preach. BUT that was the result of having been with Jesus.

These past 15 months I have said goodbye to 30 friends around the world. They, too, have “gone home.” God gives us grace to live this amazing, wonderful life. BUT He also gives us the grace to die and He does it magnificently. In each of the lives of my friends who have “gone home” this past year, their lives echoed both “word” and proclamation because they had been with Jesus. Whether it was Don or Karen, Doug or Milt, Chuck or Jim, etc, etc their final proclamation was very simple: Jesus is worth it; He is, indeed, enough.

My friends, life is precious. Let us “use it, live it, and steward it” well. And when it is time to go “home,” may we do it well, with a smile on our face. Be sure to remind your friends that you love them and that they are valued. Let’s do life together and let’s do it well.