When It’s Just Jesus & You

Several years ago, I had a profound experience with a young lady who was a student of mine at the time.  I have known this girl since she was in kindergarten.  She is the same age as my youngest daughter, Autumn, and they have always been friends.  Her mother is also a dear friend of mine.  Through the years, I’ve watched her grow and face all the challenges that many young people face, including the loss of her father while still in elementary school.  Almost anyone looking at her from the outside would never know things in her life have ever been anything but rose petals and sunshine.  She was always cute and bubbly, and had a million dollar smile.  That just speaks to the power of her Faith, and is part of her testimony for the Lord.

When Callie got to high school, I had the opportunity to be her teacher in several social studies and leadership classes.  I was also the student council adviser, which she was a member of for four years.  So, we spent a lot of time together.  In her junior year, I had the bright idea for student council to lead a flash mob dance.  I showed them the video from the Oprah Winfrey Show where the Black Eyed Peas performed their song, I Gotta Feeling, and there was a flash mob.  No one had done a flash mob at our school before.  It was awesome and fun, and the students wanted to do it for basketball homecoming.  It was football season when we started practicing, so we had lots of time to get all the moves down.  We got other classes and organizations involved.  The plan was to unveil it at the basketball homecoming pep assembly, and perform it again at half-time during the game.  Of course, Callie was the leader.  She eagerly volunteered, and she was perfect for it.  She was fearless and full of a spirit that was infectious.  She had to go out, all alone, and start the whole thing off.  Other students would come in, a few at a time, until there was a bunch of them out there, but Callie had to be on exhibit, by herself, in front of a gym full of people to begin with.  No problem!

The day finally arrived.  The pep assembly was a complete success.  Tons of students participated that hadn’t been part of the original plan.  It was great!  When it came time to perform that night, we hit a snag.  Something I wasn’t prepared for and could never have anticipated.  As soon as the second quarter was coming to an end, I headed to the back of the stage to set up the music.  Callie and the other students were in the stands ready to go.  I was just about to insert the CD, when Callie came running back to me.  I was surprised to see her and asked what was wrong.  She told me that she didn’t want to do it.  I admit I was taken aback.  It was not a part of this child’s personality to be afraid or hesitant about this sort of thing.  I asked her why…”Why don’t you want to do this?”  She explained she was afraid that no one else was going to do it.  She believed the other students were just going to let her go out by herself and leave her stranded.  They wouldn’t join her; they would just leave her hanging and embarrass her in front of all those people.  I couldn’t believe she was serious, but I watched as this child pleaded with me and I saw the desperation on her face.  I resisted and said we were doing it, and tried to convince her that she was being silly.  The pep assembly had been such a big hit and the others wouldn’t do that to her.  The next thing I know, this cute little bubbly girl jumped towards me and tried to take the CD out of my hand.  She pounced like a jaguar!  In shock, I jerked back the arm holding the CD and stretched out the other arm to block the attack.  She was in a frenzy!  I was finally able to place both hands on her shoulders.  We were face to face.  I looked her right in the eyes and said, “Callie, if it’s just you and Jesus out there…then it’s just you and Jesus.  You gotta have faith.”  Instantly, her desperation relented.  She remained somewhat unsure, but she was willing to proceed.  I loaded the CD and told her it was going to be great.  She nodded, and with the first note, skipped out on the gym floor.

Each one of us have moments of doubt, fear, desperation.  We question ourselves, our path, our choices.  We all go through personal crisis.  In our weakest moments, when we are most broken, Jesus is with us.  Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3  Unfortunately, many times when we are walking through a difficulty in our lives, Satan takes advantage of our weakened state.  We feel like a leaf, meandering helplessly through the air, at the mercy of the wind with no foundation.  This is simply a LIE, but that is Satan’s job.  He lies.  He wants Christians to doubt and rely less on our relationship with Jesus.  That pulls us away from God.  We must be diligent in our awareness of Satan’s interference in our lives.  We must be diligent in our fight against him.  We need church, study, prayer, and other Christians to remind us and strengthen us.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:  for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Psalm 23:4-6  

Now, I’m not trying to convince you that Callie’s faith in Jesus had anything to do with the success or failure of a flash mob.  Nor will praying to win the game ensure that you do, or will asking God to make you run faster than all the other runners in the race guarantee that you cross the finish line first.  In the grand scheme of God’s great plan, those are trivial things.  Christians are here to fulfill the Great Commission; to glorify the Lord and tell the world about Him.  I simply use her story to illustrate a point.  We must ALWAYS have faith that Jesus is with us.  Even when it feels like we are standing all alone, we are not.  We are never alone.  If ever you should cross a point in your life when you feel like it is just Jesus and you, have faith in God’s plan.  The experiences He allows you to have are to mold you into the Christian He wants you to be.  He wants to bring you closer to Him and add to the pages of your testimony.  Have faith.  Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1

What happened when Callie skipped out on that gym floor alone, in front of all those people?  She smiled and danced, and right on cue…the others joined her.