Listen in with me to a conversation between 9-year-old Carly and her 6-year-old sister Meghan at the funeral home visitation time for their beloved grandpa.
“If only Grandpa would just wake up.” Meghan plopped herself down on the sofa in the family gathering area.
Carly sat down next to her sister. “Grandpa IS awake. And besides, he’s more than just awake. He’s dancing, ‘cause he’s at Jesus’ potluck party and I know everybody – all those angels – brought their best stuff to THAT! Grandma’s there, and I bet he’s having a big piece of grandma’s chicken pie too – yum!”
Meghan frowned and repeated, “But if grandpa could just wake up.”
Carly put her arm around Meghan, holding her close. “Meg, Grandpa was really hurting, and he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t dance here any more. Don’t you want him to have more than just ‘awake’? Really?”
Meghan sighed, “Well, I guess so. And he did love Jesus. He told me so.”
“Then Grandpa has it all now, right?”
Meghan smiled through her tears. “Yep, and I want grandpa to have it all with Jesus. I really do.”
“If only.”
How often do we find ourselves saying or thinking some version of that?
“If only I had that promotion.” “If only my knee didn’t hurt so much.”
“If only dad wasn’t so sick.”
“If only I had more money…more…(whatever)…”
Is “only that” ALL you want/need? What if what you truly needed was a change of focus, a change in your life’s value system?
Try this: “If I only had Jesus as my Savior, the Leader of my life.” All those other things we think we need to make life perfect really do fade farther into the background of life’s priorities (not necessarily disappear, but drop back in the “need” scale).
Hear Jesus speaking to you as He spoke to Martha one day (John 11:26-27): “I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”
Now hear Martha’s answer: “Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world.”
Martha’s “If only.” changed in that moment – forever. Yours can, too, if only.