Jesus Freak

There she was sitting at the table alone. Again. Music pumping through her iPod, pen scratching away through a notebook of paper. It was supposed to be "family time" and my twelve year old had done everything she could to get out of it.

I marched up the deck steps to confront her. As I started my mother-tirade, tears filled her eyes. When I finished, she handed me the letter she had written. "I'm sorry," she said before I could start reading, "but last night as I was going to sleep I just had the strongest feeling that I needed to write this letter to my friend. I didn't want to wait."

I still today stand firm that family time should not involve iPods and teenager self-alienation. But my fury that moment faded quickly as I read the letter she had written. I wanted to share it here, because it had a profound effect on me:


Please, please don't throw this letter away, 'cuz whether you think so rite now or not, it is prob the most important letter you will ever get.
I just want to let you know that now, I'm a "Jesus Freak." And I'm not ashamed of it.
I know what you're thinking rite now, "OMG she's gone off her rocker," or something. But for me, being a Christian isn't just a "religion" or some other crap.
It's having a super-close friendship with the dude who's in control of EVERYTHING, the good AND the bad. He made everything from scratch, even me and you, even the freaky guy who lives next to you.
He loves all the people He made, too, even the druggers, rapists, and prostitutes. All that bad stuff.
He watches over everything, and he's watching me write this letter, you reading it, what the new terrorist plans are, even.
Pretty cool. ;)
The next thing is, the fact that we're both bad people. Maybe not the worst, but still bad people.
So is every person in the world that's alive, dead, or going to be alive later. Every single one.
Admit it. You got caught doing bad stuff. Ha, I can't even start counting the bad things I've done.
My point?
None of us are perfect. Not even close.
Which means, we're all going to hell to be tortured FOREVER. Basically, our sin is a one way ticket to death.
Or at least it should be.
My next point is, it doesn't have to be a ticket to hell. Right now, you're prob thinking one of two things: 1) Why the heck am I listening to this? 2)How do I get saved?
Hopefully the second one.
Answer to the first one: Because you love me. :)
Answer to the second: So, thousands of years ago there was this guy named Jesus. He was born from a virgin named Mary. Which, I know, is pretty much impossible.
Not if you're REALLY the son of God, the head honcho, put inside a human body.
Which he was.
So this guy, Jesus, lived on earth for like 30 years.
During these years, he did all kinds of cool and otherwise impossible stuff. Like, bring a DEAD person back to life, and way more!
But, for some weird reason, the leaders of the town where Jesus lived decided to hate him. They began to make plans to destroy him and win back the spotlight.
They paid another dude named Judas to betray Jesus.
In the end, they tortured him, then hung him from a cross. Ouch! He had nails pounded through his hands, and feet, and had to HANG from the cross until he died.
Back in those days, only the evilist bad guys had to die like that. But Jesus was and will be the ONLY perfect person EVER.
After lots of pain, Jesus died.
The REALLY, REALLY cool part?
Three days later, he came back to life!!! How crazy is that?!
Anyway, here comes my final point: Jesus died for your sins. For all the bad stuff you've done, and will do. Not just for you, but the whole WORLD! He took all our bad stuff into HIM when he died so that we don't have to go to hell for sure.
If we believe that Jesus was God's son, and that he died for us, then we don't have to be scared or embarrassed anymore.
God will actually come INTO you, and promises that he'll never, ever leave you.
That we don't have to spend 4ever in hell.
That we can go to heaven, forever!
That's all you have to do. God's not asking you to be perfect, or pay a million dollars.
He just wants you to love him and believe in him.
And he'll forgive you, and it will be like you never did anything wrong.
I love you, too, and that's why I want you to be a "Jesus Freak" just like me.
I love you too much to just sit on my butt and watch you screw up and go to hell.
I love you too much to give up.

I was really impressed. The way she had written about her faith so that a teenage friend with no background in what she was saying could understand it was amazing to me.

But you know what my first thought was? What I almost said?

Don't send it.

Through my mind flashed images of her being laughed at, teased, mocked, and socially stranded. All I could think about was the worldly ramifications that a letter like this could cause her.

I thank God that I didn't open my mouth, that those words never left my lips.

My daughter, perfectly aware of the social world she lives in, feels conviction that God is asking her to write this letter to her friend, and *I* am going to tell her not to? What would that have said to her? What would that have shown her about my faith and my constant teaching that we have to stand up for Christ even if it means we stand alone? What message would that have etched on her heart?

I am proud that she is proud to be a Christian. She taught me a lesson that day. God loves her even more than I can imagine, and His promises of a hope and a future are the same for her as they are for me.

It isn't every day that a twelve year old shows you what being "All in for Him" truly means. I'm grateful for the lesson.

The Voice of God

It's a feeling...a knowledge that doesn't come from my thoughts. It's seeing something that I didn't see before; discovering the harmony to a melody I've sung a hundred times. It's a whisper on the wind, the skip of a heartbeat. So soft I don't always know if it's me or Him.

(You need to talk to her. Your child needs you, do you see the look in her eyes? Have you opened your Bible today? Be careful.)

This is how He taps me on the shoulder.


It's a persistent reminder that shows itself all over my life. It's a friend saying the very words I'm thinking. It's opening my Bible to a verse that speaks directly to my heart. It's a solution that presents itself while I'm still wrestling with the problem.

(You don't have to be "good enough." Wait on My timing. Be anxious for nothing. Use the gifts I've given you. You are never alone.)

This is how He guides me.


It's a flush in my cheeks, a heat within me. It's the sudden racing of my heart. It's a conviction so strong I can think of nothing else. It has brought me to my knees before Him. It feels like being filled. If I don't move, it moves me.

(Tell that woman that I love her. Do you hear what he just said...he is asking you for your testimony. It is time. She needs you right now. Pray for him.)

This is how He speaks to me.


It's one more breath. It's living when I was dying. It's taking one more step when I have nothing left to give. It's Scripture I didn't even know I had memorized that tumbles relentlessly through my mind. It's feeling broken and knowing He has made me whole.

(I can't breathe, Lord! I will breathe for you. I can't handle this pain! Give it to Me. I've done everything I can do to help her, I can't do it anymore. You can. (Phil. 4:13) I can't sleep, God, I'm so worried about this. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:4-8) I can't do this on my own!)

My Son died so that you don't have to.

This is how He carries me.