day twentynine & thirty: praying BIG with a heavenly mentality.

Today I went to one of the most beautiful funerals I've ever been to.  As a Christian,  mourning is so complex.  And today I felt that because as deeply as I grieved for Alex, I equally rejoiced that Jay is where we are all longing to be. 

And as I heard three men I admire and respect so much talk about Jay and his life, it hit me.  Praying BIG is having a heavenly mentality.

 Even though Jay and Alex prayed for Jay's healing, I know that they prayed bigger than that.  I know that because I know that they have been captured by the love Jesus and that it's imprinted in their hearts to want what He wants because they trust He is good.  And so I know that Jay and Alex also prayed along with Jesus in the garden of Gesthemane: "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  YET, not as I will but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

We are not citizens of this earth, but of heaven.  But AHH, y'all, the thought of death is scary and hard and sad. What a comfort that Jesus felt the same way going into His death.  Granted, He was about to take on the sin of the world and be separated from His Father, but still, knowing that He felt the human emotions that go along with dying encourages me.  My God isn't distant, He KNOWS pain.  He even admits it to some of his disciples a few verses earlier, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." (Matthew 26:38)

But nothing deterred Him from the cross.  He had a heavenly mentality.  Not just for Himself, but for the whole world.  Jesus laid down His life so that we could all be citizens of heaven where we will be rid of all of this pain and suffering we are plagued by and entrenched in in this world.

Thanks, Jay and Alex, for having a heavenly mentality.  Thanks for using this terrible pain to point to Jesus.  Thanks for being brave and trusting enough to let the word "YET" into your prayers "...not as I will, but as you will" because you trust your Heavenly Father.

Oh Jesus, would you please re-teach me how to pray?  Keep my eyes off of things of this world and fixed intensely on You and the hope of heaven.  Mold my desires so that I can pray with my heart proclaiming that "Everything else is worthless when compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as rubbish, so that I could gain Christ." (Philippians 3:8)

Jay Wesley Whitaker
DURHAM - Jay Wesley Whitaker, of Durham, passed away Friday, October 25, 2013 at Duke University Hospital.  Born in Durham County, Mr. Whitaker was the son of Kelly Jay Whitaker and Vickie Whitaker Masingale (married to Chris Masingale).  Mr. Whitaker was preceded in death by his step-father, Jay Jarman.  Mr. Whitaker was involved with Young Life, a Christian outreach ministry for high school students. Jay spent his life building relationships with people and sharing the Gospel of God’s great love to all who knew him.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Whitaker is survived by his wife, Alex Wilcox Whitaker; a brother, Joey Lee Whitaker; grandparents, Carl and Wandra Griffin, Helen Whitaker and Brenda Jarman; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; a mother and father-in-law, Tina and Jim Wilcox; and a sister-in-law, Anna Wilcox.
A funeral service will be conducted 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church with Jeff McSwain, Sid Bradsher and Eric Leathers officiating.  A private graveside service will be in the Rose of Sharon Baptist Church Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at Clements Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Young Life to help send high school students to camp.  Make check payable to Young Life, attention Jay Whitaker fund, 1008 Brookstown Ave., Suite D3, Winston-Salem, NC 2710