Yes , Jesus loves me . Yes , Jesus loves me . Yes , Jesus loves me . The Bible tells me so .
Faith & daily life
At the heart of our faith is the belief that God meets us where we are in all the places and relationships in which we live , work , play and relate . We pray , support and encourage one another as we grow deeper in faith and learn to trust God with our whole lives . Some of us are new on the journey ; others have been at it for a while . All of us can find inspiration and hope in the stories of our fellow travelers . FAITH & DAILY LIFE will be featured monthly with stories of God at work in YOUR life .
This is My Story , This is My Song by Marv Hinrichs
My story begins when I was a small boy . I came from a very poor family with six children . I was less than three years old when my father passed away five days before Christmas . My younger brother was born on the day of my father ' s funeral . We lived in south Minneapolis in an area called the " Hub of Hell ." Across the street from my house were two bars , and across the street from them were the train yards . Down the street from my house in each direction was another bar and another liquor store .
Marv and Volli Hinrichs
Yes , Jesus loves me . Yes , Jesus loves me . Yes , Jesus loves me . The Bible tells me so .
My mother believed in God , but we never went to church . Nor did we talk about God . On the way home from school , I would pass a Salvation Army Temple where they held services . Many times I passed the building , and it seemed like they were always singing , " Jesus Loves Me ." I would wonder what that was about , so one day when I was nine years old , I went in . I sat down on a folding chair and , with a few people , who had been drinking , sang " Jesus Loves Me ." I enjoyed doing that . That brought me to Christ .
My story now switches to when I was 72 years old . I was shaving one morning and felt a lump in my throat . I went to the doctor and received the bad news that I had a cancerous tumor which had spread to the lymph nodes . They told me I had less than two years to live . I made plans to go to the Mayo Clinic for a new procedure that was less invasive . The day before my operation , Pastor Bob Rusert came to the house to give me communion . We sat at the kitchen table and said a prayer . When he asked me what my favorite song was , I said , " Jesus Loves Me ." We sang and had communion .
The next day I went to the Mayo . They used robotic technology to remove the tumor and 44 lymph nodes . After many complications and three more operations , it was time to start chemotherapy and radiation . But first , I would have to have an operation to move my pacemaker , and my teeth would need to be pulled . I told the doctor that after all I had been through , I was too weak . In my mind , I would not survive all that . He said we should wait for three months .
After three months , I made plans to have the chemo and radiation . We went to the Mayo and after numerous tests , met with the doctor . He came into the exam room and asked how I was doing . When I told him that I had decided to have the chemo in Minneapolis and had set up the appointments for everything else , he looked at me and asked , “ Why ? According to the tests , you don ' t have any cancer !" My daughter , wife and I all started to cry . We were so happy . We left his office and took the elevator to the first floor lobby where someone was playing the piano and everyone was singing . Guess what the song was . " Jesus Loves Me ." We cried all over again . I am pretty sure he was watching over me . I am now 80 years old and cancer free .
That is my story , and that is my song .
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