This Woman Only Has Jesus

9 years ago, in February 2014, I experienced something that I'll never forget.  It formed me.  I want to tell you about it.

The following story happened in Les Rois, Haiti.  Les Rois is nestled in a forgotten valley, far off the well-traveled roads, between lush mountains.  Les Rois is a special place that I'll never forget!  I met Christ incarnate there, but I'm getting off track...  that story is for another day.  

As we hiked down the forest path, we began to hear the ladies in the church singing.  They sounded like angels.  It was almost as if we were approaching heaven. Little did we know, we were. Once inside, we joined them as best we could in song, and then the Pastor invited an older woman in the church to come forward.  She sang #17. In Haiti, many of the songs are known by the number, not the title.  

Here are the lyrics with translation for the first verse and chorus...  Here is a random link that I found on YouTube of this song in case you're interested.

Verse 1
Mwen byen kontan ke Papa mwen nan syèl,
I am happy because my father who is in heaven,
Pale nan liv li pou di m Li renmen m
tells in the Bible that he loves me.
Nan pawòl Li, m jwenn anpil bèl bagay
In His word, I find many good things
Sa ki pi bèl sèke Jezi renmen m.
The most important thing is that Jesus loves me.

Chorus
A la m kontan m wè, Jezi renmen m,
I am happy to see how Jesus loves me.
Jezi renmen m, Jezi renmen m,
Jesus Loves me, Jesus loves me.
A la m kontan ,m wè Jezi renmen m
I am happy to see how Jesus loves me.
Jezi renmen m tout tan.
Jesus loves me always.

As she sang, it felt like Pentecost; you could sense the Holy Spirit filling the room. As she sang, she kept thumping her chest to emphasize the depth and breadth of her conviction.  Every thump was a drum beat on my soul. She kept staring at me. I'm sure she wasn't only looking at me, but it sure felt that way. With authority from heaven and conviction in her soul, she taught me a lesson that I was more desperate to learn than I realized.  I had come to serve that day, but things got turned around quickly.  Instead, my spiritual "poverty" was displaced by the "wealth" of her faith.  

I was thinking to myself...  This woman ONLY has Jesus.  She has nothing in terms of this world.  All of the stuff that I think I need, that we think satisfies, she does not have. None of it. Yet, she has Jesus.  She had deep-seated joy that only comes from a soul-deep trust in Jesus.  Once she was done, the pastor got up and shared that this woman had lost a son in the earthquake a few years back, and then again just one week before this day, she lost another son to an unknown sickness.  Yet, she sang.  Deeply she sang.

Psalm 63:1 reminds us, this world has nothing that will satisfy.  Yet, true joy, contentment, trust, and satisfaction is found in Jesus.  

Here is the woman singing #17 - "Mwen Byen Kontan Ke".

Rob