I'm Going On!

Mark and Wil Denton - February 8, 2008


I come from "good stock." A family of preachers, story tellers, followers of Christ with a shared history in the church of God: general offices in Anderson, Indiana... headquarters in Heaven. Debi and I spend every Friday with mom and Dad, neither have been in good health for a couple of years and they live with my brother Tim and his wife. Yesterday, Uncle Mark was down from Washington, where he's retired wonderfully with his wife Barbara, and we had the chance to do what we do when we get together: talk about the church, tell stories and sing... it was a good day. The kind of day you walk away from with a very real understanding that it may be the last time you spend a day like that with those people... wish you could have been with us.

Dad, in the red/striped shirt is 93, Uncle Mark, in the dark shirt, is 90. They were born in Princeton, Indiana: 927 N. Seminary St., two of the three youngest of 9 children. Dad and three of his brothers were called to preach: John, Glenn, Dad and Mark, built churches, led revivals, preached camp meetings from one end of the country to the other. Aunt Lois, the youngest of the family, who like Aunt Helen, sang beautifully for The Lord as well, died almost 20 years ago in Anderson. Uncle Glenn died last summer at the age of 95. Dad and Uncle Mark remain, living legacies. I digress... but God is so very, very good.

When I was a kid, the times we were all together were some of the highlights of my life... they all seemed like giants... lovable dad's, normal guys when they were a part... but together... almost untouchable. I think all my cousins would agree, when "the boys" began to sing, preach, tell their stories... it was a little like watching Clark Kent run into a phone booth only to fly out with the earth shaking power of SuperMan! Friday afternoon, dad and Uncle Mark sang again, beautifully... I tried to sing along... but I'm from a much more uncertain generation... the generation that inherited the mission, the music and thankfully The Message. But even still, in their 90's, when the song got going, I knew to go quiet and along with my children, now adults also, smile and enjoy the fact that we were just in the same family as these guys that God has used so well. He is too Good.

As the afternoon came to a close, we sang one more old song: I'm Going On. Hadn't heard it in years... but our hearts and voices swelled, all of us together as we came to the chorus: "I'm going on, I'm going on, until The Final Triumph, I'm going on. I'm going on, I'm going on, until The Final Triumph... I'm going on!" 90 and 93: 183 years of life- singing out loud, doing their best to rattle the windows, each one arm in the air, victory in their eyes, in their voices, most importantly, in their hearts... it was easy to see that they meant to go right on.

Our family- the Denton's -has not been spared heartache. We carry our fair share even still. But we've been given the church... somewhere at some point... each of us has had the opportunity to do what so many others have done... to "see the church." We've seen her at work in our families: spotless and radiant, filled with power and spreading glory in the midst of our mess. My testimony of my Friday afternoon is a simple one- "I've seen the church!" And she's beautiful, worth working a lifetime for, purchased with The Precious Blood of Jesus - One - in His Love and Grace, wonderful in the witness of the redeemed... I have seen the church! Glory!

In so many of my weekly updates about our work in Mexico, Los Angeles, Riverside and even Kenya, I find myself closing with these simple words- "wish you'd been there." Friday afternoon, wish you'd been there. Thankful our kids, Julia and John, had taken their afternoons to join us- it was fun to watch them use their phones to make video of their Grandpa and Great Uncle Mark singing... even more fun to see the child like wonder in their eyes and realize... even if they didn't recognize it right then... that they were seeing the church as well... inspired and thankful... when we hugged one another and headed out our separate ways, I left with a song in my heart- hope it's yours today - "I'm going on!" The Final Triumph is yet to come.

blessings,

Eric

always on my mind...

Denton Family Photo - September 10, 2004 - Dad's 90th Birthday

Opened one of those long Christmas letters from old friends last night and sat down to read up on what's been going on with their family in the last year. They're forever frozen in the mid-nineties in my mind... yet life has moved on... they've lived in several different states, added three children to their family and earned enough stories to easily fill a three page Christmas letter that must have been difficult to edit: knowing what to add and what to leave out. Each year their little missile keeps us feeling somewhat connected, though we're now miles and newly added experiences apart.

Learning to play the guitar, the two of them once sat in my office, long before kids and new careers and he played the guitar as she sang an old song I'd been fighting the chords to find. His fingers laid them down with ease and deliberation- showing me each move, allowing me to follow along. She lifted her voice in grace with words that haunt my heart from that sweet Willie Nelson ballad: Always On My Mind.

Reading their new adventures, learning the growing lives of their children, absorbing their stories of intentional living for Christ- one lovely moment together wouldn't let me go- a singular segment of time I doubt they'd remember... and the faces of so many I'd loved filled my heart... bits and pieces of the song came back to me, "little things we'd said and done. I just never found the time- but you were always on my mind... you were always on my mind."

We've been blessed, they're two among so many. I'm closely related to most the folks in the photo above, many whom I haven't had contact with since the photo was taken three years ago. Add to that the great number of family not in the photo and multiply it by the amazing number of people who've loved us like family- who we rarely see any longer and like the friends in the Christmas letter are now far from us and it still doesn't even number all those we see day in and day out, week in and week out, who we love so deeply and love us wonderfully, yet we never find the time... but you are always on my mind. We're so blessed.

At the bottom of our friends Christmas letter, not hand written in, just part of the print that went to everyone, the closing salutation read simply, "missing you." It struck a chord. I knew exactly how they felt... to everyone we love, missing you. To all those who've loved us and keep us in their thoughts and prayers: missing you. To family far and near this Christmas, missing you... to those no longer with us: Uncle Glenn, Uncle John, Gary, Gerald, Ed, Villora... so many more each Christmas... missing you... but you are always on my mind.

To live with intention... I think one of the first changes I'd make is to begin to find the time; to hand write that note of love, to make that phone call, to stop in and visit, to sit down together for a meal, to break the barrier that's kept us apart, to reach across the schedules and miles, "while today is still called today" and reconnect in love. "Little things you've said and done" like playing guitars and singing together in the office... have not, could never slip by unnoticed.

I went to bed with so many of you on my heart. Woke up at 2:30 and needed to write... the picture of my family is just the beginning of so many we love... so many as we approach Christmas who are in our thoughts deeply... so many of our friends captured in two simple words for this season: "missing you."

Missing you this morning. Praying that God sweetly surrounds you with His presence and comfort and that you know you're loved... that you're not alone this Christmas.

missing you,

Eric

ps
song of the day... not too tough to figure out... try playing it on your guitar. Wish I could hear Scott and Terri sing it again.