Dear Jane

I recently heard that Jane Marczewski died last week after a 5-year battle with cancer.  You may have heard of her as “Nightbirde”. She competed on the 16th season of America’s Got Talent as was awarded the Golden Buzzer for singing an original piece called “It’s Okay.”  If you have never watched that clip of her performance, I encourage you to do so. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZJvBfoHDk0&ab_channel=America%27sGotTalent
 
It’s 7:32 of bliss.  In that amount of time, I went from my chair to the Garden of Gathsemene, to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then straight to the throne of God.   I’ve watched it many times since and I have always been blessed.   The final scenes of her audition are the image I have of the Judgement Seat of Christ.
 
I won’t get this all correct, but when she died last week, she was 31.  She had gone in and out of cancer three times, been through a difficult divorce and had her dreams of being a singer/songwriter…what do I say…interrupted?  And here she was.  A SHINING witness of hope and joy.  After hearing her story at the audition, which was probably more than she ever intended telling anyone, she radiated with the ‘smoke’ of someone who was truly….borrowing a word from Howie Mandel…authentic.  Her witness was so much more than her words.  She was genuine. 
 
Following her since, I have found a few ‘quick quotes’ from Jane for all of us to PONDER.
 

• I am so much more than the bad things that have happened to me.
• You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore until you decide to be happy.
• Two percent chance of survival is not zero.
• Just because someone leaves you doesn’t mean that love isn’t real.
• It’s easy to put your identity in one thing.
• Some people can’t see God because they won’t look low enough
• There are a lot of people who want to hope for something in their life, but are afraid to.

Of specific note is the sixth bullet point which she talks more extensively about in a blog on her website called “God Is On the Bathroom Floor”.  No one could write that article unless they had been on the bathroom floor to find Him there. 
 
Dear Jane.
 
Thank you for not being afraid.
 
Jeff