When I Get Where I’m Going-August 30

This past Wednesday night in Bible Class, we discussed someone we have never really discussed before in Bible Class. We talked about Dolly Parton. Our youth group here at Rocketdyne has a strong pocket of Dolly fans! And I don’t know where you land on this, but Tuesday’s news of her passing hit hard. So we decided to talk about it during Wednesday’s night class.

I realized I wasn’t alone; several also wanted to discuss her life, her achievements, her philanthropy. Several knew obscure facts about her as we played an impossible trivia game about Miss Dolly.

One video I saw online on Facebook, (give me a break I’m over 40 years old!), asked what song did we play of Dolly’s when you really needed it? Not your favorite song of hers, but the song that you really needed to hear at a time in your life that was sentimental or difficult. I instantly knew the answer: it was this song below….

“When I get Where I am Going” by Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton was one of the songs we used during my Mom’s funeral service when she died suddenly at 42 years old. I was only 20 when it happened at the end of my Spring  Semester at college.

This song gave my family peace; this song gave us hope. Although this song, doesn’t directly reference God, or even Jesus (unfortunately), it does compare God to a Lion and talks about the Maker.
But when I get where I'm going,
And I see my Maker's face,
I'll stand forever in the light,
Of His amazing grace.
Yeah when I get where I'm going,
Oh, when I get where I'm going,
There'll be only happy tears.
Hallelujah!
I will love and have no fear.
When I get where I'm going.

This song is the soundtrack we played during my Mom’s picture slideshow at the funeral. It is the song I hear anytime I watch that memory video. This song helped me get through a very difficult time. And I thank Dolly Parton for being a part of that comfort. One day, when I get to stand before our Maker: God, I will get to live in the light of His Amazing Grace! I will get to see Jesus and thank Him for all He has done for me! We will finally get to see the Holy Spirit. And yes, I believe I will get to see my Mom, so many other family members that I miss greatly. So when I get where I am going, like Dolly said in the video announcement from her family, don’t be sad: because we are in the LIGHT!! I hope you can say the same, friend. If you need to talk-comment below or call the church office at 417-451-6698. Leave a message if no one answers, and I will call you back! We are all in this together friends! You are NOT alone, even if you feel lonely. We got each other! And we’ve got a story to tell! Let’s tell it together!

I want to end with this verse which was our closing verse on Wednesday night:
““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””
‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV

Dolly seems to have made this a core part of her life; Jesus did too! Let’s all try to live up to this New Command, and be more like Jesus, more like Dolly, and truly LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Blessings friends! -Zac