Didja ever just have a song pop into your head out of the blue… Just WHAM, there it is (wouldn’t it be weird if they’d have been the ones that sang it! … Just sayin’!)?

Well… that’s what happened to me today. A song from a band that I didn’t really even like or listen to all that often, but my little brother loved — Cinderella. “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” was the name of the song. Don’t ask me to sing the whole thing, I can’t… but it was still playing on the radio when he went to New Jerusalem, which is why it’s embedded somewhere in my memory.

That should be a sad song, don’t ya think? But… let me let you in on a secret. It was for a while. And don’t let me fool you — I still miss him. But thanks to a loving God who sent His only Son to gather a handful of fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and a few other ordinary friends, death has lost its sting. It’s no longer the end… just a “see you later.”

Having said that, the song still hits and resonates on so many levels. It’s like a modern-day warning of what Christ Himself was teaching 2,000 years ago when two sisters were fussing around the house during His visit. One was trying to do everything she could to make the home perfect for Him, while the other was doing all she could to simply be PRESENT in the moment.

I was blessed to have 16 years with my little brother, 34 years with my mom, and 41 years with my dad. But it’s not the years I remember most — it’s the moments we actually connected. Those are what I hold onto until we meet again. And those are what I’m trying to create with all the loved ones who are still attending churches on this side of New Jerusalem.

Just a thought from a guy who appreciates his Savior for changing the sad-song endings.

Bible Verses

Luke 10:38-42 / 1 Timothy 6:11-19

Questions

How do the sad songs sit in your life?  Are there things you can change?  It’s never too late to start.