This morning was one of those where I’m making sandwiches minutes before we should be departing, rushing round in a mildly demented manner searching for book-bags, homework and anything else that needs to go to school, and berating myself for not being more organised (happens more than I’d like to admit!) when something caused me to stop short.

As I legged it upstairs for the umpteenth time and bawled at the kids to put on their coats, I heard the kids clapping in unison and the strains of ‘We want to see Jesus lifted High’ float up to me. Spontaneous chorus singing may not be earth shattering for anyone reading this, but for me it was a ray of hope. In a world where the likes of Barbie and Batman often consume the hearts and imaginations of my pair, the Jesus stuff had sunk in.

“We want to see Jesus lifted high
A banner that flies across the land
That all men may see the truth and know
He is the way to heaven.”

This chorus was produced by Kingsway about 14 years ago (I think Doug Horley wrote the lyrics) but its impact and simple theology are as relevant today as they ever have been, and it’s still fun to sing; I have an image in my mind of the kids grinning as they roll their arms to show ’strongholds tumbling down.’

Esther is five at the weekend and as I watch her and Noah grow and develop (& praise God for the blessing they are to J and I), I trust that ‘we want to see Jesus lifted high’ will still be the song of their hearts in twenty years time.