"Wish"

Wish I could talk to Homer,

Or he could talk to me,

Grandaddy on my Mama’s side,

Been gone so long you see.

Took me fishin’ and to baseball,

And came to see me play,

A carpenter, a buildin’ man,

Wish I had one more day,

To hear him sing a gospel hymn,

A drivin’ down the road,

Of Jesus as a precious friend,

Who lifts life’s heavy load.

Wish I could talk to Daddy,

Been gone for twenty years,

A cattle man who dealt in land,

He’d help me calm my fears.

Dad worked so hard and came so far,

Strong right until the end,

I’d love to sit and eat a steak,

And talk just friend to friend.

Now he’s in the arms of Jesus,

Though surprised when his time came,

Wonder if he’d know me,

Or if he looks the same.

Wish I could talk to Mama,

She was so dear to me,

The first to tell me of God’s love,

To heal and set us free.

She lived her life for Jesus,

Told others of His love,

And now she is there with Him

In eternal light above.

But wouldn’t it be something,

Just one more time with her,

Eat at her kitchen table,

Bet that’s what she’d prefer.

Wish I could see my sister,

Five years since she went home,

I’d love to sit and laugh awhile,

Just talking on the phone.

And she can tell me how it is,

To see His shining face,

And what it’s like to live up there,

In that joyful, perfect place.

So many more whom I have known,

Crossed to the other side,

The witnesses who’ve gone before,

And in you I’ll confide,

I don’t know if they see us,

Or what we’re going through,

But I’m all in to run my race,

With God’s help I will do,

What it takes to finish strong,

To lay aside the weights,

And anything that slows me down,

From finding heaven’s gates.

Looking unto Jesus Christ,

My focus all on Him,

And because of His shed blood,

I know they’ll let me in.

Wish I could talk to Jesus,

Why, yes, I know I can,

Praying hard and running,

Is exactly His great plan.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off very weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1, NLT)

This scripture tells us that all who have lived for God and died in the faith make up a great heavenly crowd or cloud of witnesses. It’s as if they are in the heavenly grandstands cheering us on, and now have handed the baton to us. Since it’s our turn to run, we are called to lay aside every weight, run with endurance and stay focused on Jesus. He is the One who authors and finishes our faith. What a magnificent picture of the Christian life, and how encouraging to know that all who went before are pulling for us. Best of all, Jesus urges us to keep on keeping on. We can, therefore we should.

Lord, help us to lay aside every weight, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.