This week has been devastating for the entertainment world. Three icons of many of our lives have passed on from this world. The first one made us laugh many a night as he came into our homes via the TV. The second one was the dream girl of every young boy in a generation. The third made the soundtrack of our childhood and teen years. The world is saddened by their passings. The 1st and 2nd didn't play as much a role in my life as the third. Michael Jackson's music was an essential part of my life. I remember the night that Thriller was debuting on MTV. I bargained with my mother and then with my best friend at my side, we watched this video. I still have his album(yes, album) and I had a purse and glove with his picture on it. I loved him. Then, the older I(and he) got the weirder he got. His skin began to change colors and his nose began to change shape. He started to behave in a manner that he hadn't before. His lifestyle became eclectic and reclusive. Then, there were reports of little boys and the harm that was done to them. This was so hard to take in. How could we reconcile the sweet little boy who lit up a room with his talent and his personality be the same man who would allegedly do these things? My answer to that is MJ had some damage done to him that couldn't be repaired by surgery or money. He had what everyone desires: fame, fortune, talent, adoring fans but he didn't have happiness. It was the one thing that money could not buy. What could have soothed his aching soul? I can only think of 1 thing, Jesus Christ. Only He can fill the missing pieces in our heart. As a woman who tried everything to fill her own holes, I know what MJ was going through. I didn't have money or fame or, even, talent but I had a free will and I used it. At 25, I realized that my damaged heart and soul could only be repaired by Jesus. I wasn't sure that He would even want me because of all the damage I had done, but He did. He had always wanted me before time even began. My face was what He was seeing while He died on the cross. I was the reason He died and so were you. I am still healing in some areas and God is continuing to work in me until the day He calls me home but for those of you who knew me then and know me now, you can see the difference Christ has made in my life. He could've and would've done the same for MJ, if only He had been invited. How will you make your mark on this earth? Will you go out with battle scars that have been healed by your Maker or open wounds that are oozing your own selfish pride and need to do it yourself?
