I was driving my son to preschool one morning recently and we were listening to a Christian kids music CD in the car. Ok, now any one who knows me just went back and read that again. I don’t usually do the whole kids music thing at all, let alone the Christian kids music deal because … Well, I’ll just be honest: it mostly
makes me want to stick my head in the oven. But I was tired of people staring at me in shock when they overheard my kid singing All American Rejects or Akon under his breath while he plays video games. I decided to give being the good mom a try and so Joshua and I were singing and dancing around in the car before I dropped him off and after I got back in the car I left it on for some reason. (Probably because it wasn’t so obnoxious my brain tried to ooze out my ears or anything)
And then I had this weird moment. I was driving home but I was completely arrested by the words in the simple little child’s song.
“And I’m really happy You’re in my life
I’m really happy You’re in my heart
And I’m really happy ‘cause Jesus You’re all I need.
‘Cause I gotta few words to say
And few things to do,
And a little jumping around,
‘Cause I’m living for you
And I’m really happy You’re in my life
I’m really happy You’re in my heart
And I’m really happy ‘cause Jesus You’re all I need.â€
It repeats over and over (though there’s a few verses as well) presumably because it’s for children, and the lyrics are so simplistic. But they suddenly struck me as incredibly significant. ‘Jesus you’re all I need’ I don’t know if it’s because I grew up in church and I heard statements like that made so often they lost meaning or if because, truth be told, I am a bit cynical but I had always brushed off statements like that as being pretty cheesy.
But as I sat there driving in the rain towards my house, listening to that little song I could hear my concerns and preoccupations rolling around in my head like echoes. Bigger car, better car, smaller pants size, better house, bigger house, cuter clothes, more make-up, new flat iron, new earrings, a vacation, a manicure … my internal list of wishes and wants swirled around until I could almost hear them.
‘Jesus You’re all I need’
The song kept playing and I kept listening and all of a sudden I realized I was nearly in tears. It was the first time I ever really believed ‘Jesus You’re All I need’. I started thinking back, remembering the life He saved me from and thinking about the beautiful life He gave me in return for my ashes and it didn’t seem like a cheesy thing to say anymore. It didn’t seem like something people say because it’s the right thing to say and they’re being good little Christians. I realized that many of those people had simply grasped a truth I hadn’t.
It is so easy to get caught up in this life around us, to become saturated in the pursuit of things. We look at the people around us and compare what we have to what they have and somehow we always can find something they have that we want. It is so easy to forget we are living in a temporary world and the real thing is yet to come. In the midst of all this insubstantial stuff we cling to He is real and solid.
So I don’t care if I sound like a cheesy Christian because it’s true! I can trust in Him and know that come what may He really is all I need.
I love that! It is a life changing “ahh hah” moment!
Well said, Melissa! I love your honesty.
I relate to your cynicism. I don’t like anything fake and religious, so it’s always a little humbling when my spirit connects with something I had once understood as cheesy. Gods doing big things in us isn’t He.
proud of ya.
I love when God speaks to us in the “simple things”. I feel your pain though on the kids music. My kids have never listened to any kids cd’s because they make me crazy. Not sure why. Pitiful, I know. I love your heart!
What a sweet moment! Thanks for sharing…that blessed my morning!! I love how God speaks to us in such simplistic yet powerful ways!!
Just beautiful Melissa…really. Sweet and simple and beautiful!
Oh how I can relate. My kids listened to the music that was available 10 years ago…but only occasionally and I’m pretty sure some of my brain did ‘ooze out my ears’! I think it’s those quiet moments of revelation that keep us fallin’ in love with Jesus. Precious story! Thanks for sharing.
Great post!! I am coming in contact more and more each day with women who are more actively pursuing their “wants” and doing whatever it takes to get the bigger house, the bigger car, more clothes, whatever than they are pursuing after the Lord. This will touch so many women! And as far as kids music- check out Go Fish for the kids- it won’t kill you while listening to it! LOL
“It didn’t seem like something people say because it’s the right thing to say and they’re being good little Christians. I realized that many of those people had simply grasped a truth I hadn’t.”
I love these kind of moments when Jesus catches us off guard to show us a simple truth. And I love the sweet way He chose to do it…through a song you would have never listened to before. He’s so creative that way!
Simple truths sometimes have the most profound effect on us. I love this about Jesus.
Melissa, you are a good mom! Again, I appreciate your transparency and vulnerability.
Hillsong has some awesome kids worship, it will bless the kids and you!!
We use it in our kids church, they get involved and enter into the Presence of God with such whole heartedness…check it out!
Sometimes the ‘simple’ is the profound, great post uplifting simple truth. Don’t know you but you blessed my day
Jesus is simple! I love your expression of child-like faith.
This is great. And I love it when we can become like a little child, it’s then we give God something to work with. I totally pictured you rocking out in your car to your kids music! I can totally relate to your wish list because it sounds alot like mine! So I love this post, because it’s so true, all those things are just that… Things!
I love that this is such a Holy Spirit slap in the face, in totally a good way. I needed to hear this because like you I have a perpetual list in my head of then…then…then…Jesus is all that we need. Hopefully soon you can read/hear more about that journey in my life over the last 15 months. Love you friend!
I must agree Melissa, He really is all we need! Thank you for sharing your heart and inspiring us all!