The Greatest Man

Sometimes I wake up with a song in my mind. Lots of times it’s a worship song, but today it wasn’t. I wonder sometimes what my dreams are about when I can’t remember them, and if the songs in my head are related to events from my dreams.

Or if I’m just a weirdo. Like that last statement wasn’t weird already…

But this morning I can’t get the lyrics of Reba McEntire’s song “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” out of my head. This is a song written about a distant relationship between a father and child.

The first verse says:
The greatest man I never knew
Lived just down the hall
And everyday we’d say hello
But never touched at all
He was in his paper
And I was in my room
How was I to know he thought I hung the moon?

I did not grow up with a dad like that. My dad was super involved in my life, and I would bother him with random facts and stories and such all the time. I probably said “Dad- look at me!!” 80,000 times in my life, and every time he would turn his head and look, or I’d look over and find he was already watching me.

I have wonderful memories of him making awful puns, playing board games with us for hours, driving me to practices, coming to all my softball games- even helping ice my hand when I caught a line drive with it. He gave me tips and taught me how to turn my glove to catch balls instead, attended my volleyball matches and took me to the ER when I hyperextended my elbow returning a hard serve.

My dad was my biggest fan for all my school plays, musicals, band concerts… he taught me to drive, hugged me when I made mistakes and was hard on myself, and disciplined me when needed. (And trust me, I needed it a lot. I think we’ve already talked about that before.) He also prayed for me regularly and still does.

I know not everyone has a dad like that in their home growing up. I truly am sorry for that.

But what if we looked at this song in a spiritual sense? What if we took that phrase and applied to our knowledge of Jesus/God?

I mean, I know He knows everything about me by default because He’s God, but do I talk to Him like I want Him to know the details of my life? Do I let Him in, and actively pursue knowing Him and letting Him in?

How many of us have a Bible in our home somewhere on a shelf “down the hall” collecting dust? Perhaps we never open it, but for some reason it comforts us to know it’s there.

Or maybe we have a habit of briefly praying in the morning, saying ‘hello’ to God, or we check in with him from time to time, but we never take time to really get to know Him. We don’t let Him into the deeper part our lives, we never let Him put His touch on our lives, and then when push comes to shove, we feel like He’s not really there.

I want tell you that Jesus thinks a lot about you. I mean, He literally hung the moon, but He has good thoughts about you, and you are the apple of His eye. He wants you to feel the same about Him. He is calling You deeper. He wants You to know how much He loves You and cares for You, how He wants to be a Father to you.

Can I encourage you today to get to know Jesus beyond a quick hello? Take time to dust off the book He wrote that shows His love for you, and get to know Him. You will find that He’s already turned His face toward you- He’s already looking at you, waiting for you to engage with Him.

It’s been one of the greatest joys in my life to get to read and understand the Bible. The Gospel has been an anchor for my soul in difficulty. Jesus has been the Rock for me when the storms of life have been overwhelming. His Word has been a comfort to my heart and a balm to my soul when I am hurting and confused and scared. Truly, Jesus has made all the difference for me.

Please don’t let Jesus be the greatest man you never knew.

John 10:27-30
(27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: [28]And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (30) I and my Father are one.

Romans 5:6-8
(6) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. [8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Psalm 139:17-18
(17) How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! [18] If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.