He's Alive!

I recently told a friend of mine that everything I learned about God and Faith I learned from Dolly Parton.  As I was thinking of this statement later I began thinking that she probably thinks I'm a true and certified lunatic!  So then I thought I should give her some examples and prove it to her.  Today is Dolly Parton's birthday, (January 19th) what better day than this to begin the first in a series (I hope) of showing the many ways that Dolly Parton shared her faith with me, and, I'm sure, countless others.  I may have over stated "everything I learned" but I could say "a lot of what I believe" came from Dolly Parton.

In 1989 I was 7 years old.  In 1989 Dolly Parton released the album entitled "White Limozeen."  The last song on this tape was called "He's Alive!" and I loved the power and conviction with which Dolly sang those lyrics!  I watched everything that had Dolly Parton in it, I was enamored with her; her beautiful voice, her beautiful clothes and hair and her beautiful spirit of Love.  Luckily, my parents recorded everything that had Dolly Parton in it so I could watch it over and over again...One such program was the 1989 Country Music Awards (CMA's).  Watch it for yourself! Dolly Parton- He's Alive!

My favorite part of this song is toward the end, after everyone has seen Jesus die upon the cross and had gone back to his tomb, only to find it empty.  They return home and the song goes: "the guilt and anguish came, everything I'd promised him just added to my shame.  When at last it came to choices, I denied I knew his name, and even if he was alive...It wouldn't be the same."

But suddenly the air was filled

With a strange and sweet perfume

Light that came from everywhere

Drove shadows from the room

And Jesus stood before me

With His arms held open wide

And I fell down on my knees 

And I just clung to Him and cried

Imagine seeing Jesus after He has been resurrected.  Maybe feeling unworthy of His love because you lost hope at that moment and in your despair you doubted all the promises He had made.  Then you see Him, alive as He said would happen!  How could you have doubted the One who had never let you down.  How can He ever forgive you?

Then He raised me to my feet

And as I looked into His yes

The love was shining out from Him

Like sunlight from the skies

Guilt in my confusion

Disappeared in sweet release

And every fear I ever had

Just melted into peace

But Jesus IS LOVE!   He knows you are only human and loves you anyway, loves you because of it, gave His own life that you may live!   Feel the peace this knowledge brings!  So, the lesson learned from this Dolly Parton song, even at the age of 7--Jesus loves us, He knows us, He knows our weaknesses but also our strengths and He will always lift us up when we have fallen in despair.  And He will look at us with love, bright shining love! if we just look to Him and seek Him and strive to do His will.

Today, in church, pictures from the gospel were passed around and we were to choose one that meant something to us and tell the group what that story meant to us.  I chose "The Resurrected Jesus Christ."

In this picture, Jesus has is "arms held open wide" and "love is shining out from Him like sunlight from the skies!"  He gave his life to atone for our sins that we might have eternal life and live again with Him someday!  We can do this by living the way He taught us to and doing what He asks of us.  I didn't tell the whole story of why I love this depiction so much, telling about the Dolly Parton song that brought the resurrected Savior to life for me, but it IS what I was thinking of as I looked at the picture today.  Now I share the rest of the story here... (Yes, I did feel a bit like Paul Harvey saying that...)

When that time comes do we want to be filled with fear and shame, guilt and anguish?

Or with the knowledge of our Savior's Love and Light?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16