Jesus Fixes Everything
How a funeral and a picture of Christ told the truth of the Resurrection
Yesterday I found myself back at Christ Church in Plano to conduct the funeral of Lee Ann Nelson—a woman many of you may remember from The Christ Church Stories. It was a good and holy day. A day filled with tears, yes, but also with laughter, gratitude, and that steady Christian confidence that the Resurrection is not an abstraction. It applies to real people. To real lives. To Lee Ann.
In the sermon, I told a simple truth Lee Ann believed with all her heart: Jesus fixes everything. Not all at once. Not always the way we expect. But finally. Fully. Forever.
That conviction shaped how she lived, and—unexpectedly—how she still gives.
Here’s the story:
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When Lee Ann moved into assisted living eight years ago, her world condensed into a single apartment—about fifteen by fifteen feet. She never forgot how to use her cell phone. Or her Amazon account. You can imagine the rest.
“Cluttered” isn’t quite the right word, but it will do.
When the time came to clear out her apartment, I knew I needed to help. My back, however, was in no shape for lifting, and the task was far too big for me to manage. So I did what I could. I called a removal company—one that would come, sort through everything, donate what was good, recycle what could be reused, and haul away the rest.
Still, it’s a hard thing to see. Belongings once cherished by someone you love, laid out in a parking lot, waiting for pickup. A life, reduced to piles.
Among those things was a framed picture of Jesus. A surfer Jesus, as I might call it. Cool. Californian. Bluish/brown-eyed. I’d seen it hanging in Lee Ann’s home for years, and then on the wall of her apartment. It followed her.
My wife, Fran, couldn’t bear to part with it and started to load it into her minivan. I gently intervened and suggested it go to Goodwill—or somewhere else where it might bless someone anew. Reluctantly, she agreed.
Everyone left. The movers went upstairs for the final load. And there I sat, alone, on the bumper of their truck, staring at surfer Jesus leaning against white plastic garbage bags, waiting for the end.
The company was called GotJunk. You call them, and they come. But how will they know what is junk and what needs to be donated?
I sat on the bumper of the truck and looked at the portrait of Jesus. I prayed
“Thank you, Lord, for Lee Ann. For the privilege Fran and I had of caring for her. For the blessing of her friendship.”
Then I looked again at the picture and said—half-smiling—“Did you really look like that?”
That Portrait
The crew came back down. The head guy approached me to settle the bill. We took care of business. And then he paused, pointed, and asked:
“Is that a picture of Jesus Christ?”
“Yes,” I said.
I waited a bit and looked at him.
My heart went out.
“Are you a Christian?” I asked him.
“I just became one a few months ago.”
”How did that happen, brother?” I asked.
He told me that one night, alone in his apartment with only his animals, he fell down on his knees. For reasons he couldn’t explain. And he confessed everything.
“I’ve made so many mistakes. I’ve done really bad things. Will you forgive me, God?”
Then, he said, he felt pressure everywhere. He crossed his arms over his chest and felt something overwhelming—tight, strong, all around him. He showed me how he held his arms, extending down the length of the kneeling body, crossing at his beltline.
He looked like he had cuffs on as he described the moment.
“It was intense, man. Pressure. Big time. It was like I got hugged. Hard, man. Very intense. I cried so hard. I gave my life to Christ right then. I was alone—it was just me and my animals—but I cried forever.”
I said quietly, “That was the Lord, for sure.”
And then I picked up the picture.
“Lee Ann would want you to have this. It’s yours.”
He froze. You're kidding, right? I can have this!?
“Last week,” he said, “I was praying I’d find a Bible in all the stuff we collect. And I did. It was red—my favorite color. It had everything. It had King James plus the Old Testament and the New Testament. But I never imagined I’d find a picture of Jesus.”
“Brother,” I said, “Lee Ann would absolutely want you to have it.”
And just like that, a picture waiting for a next assignment, likely a landfill, became a sacrament of his new life.
Jesus, still fixing things.
A few other notes, before I close.
Israel 2027.
We are beginning a wait list for our Holy Land pilgrimage in 2027. We will likely cap the trip around 42 people, so if you are prayerfully considering joining us, please let me know sooner rather than later. I would love to walk those roads with you. Go here for the information.
Create in Me a Clean Heart.
I am deeply grateful for the response to my new book, Create in Me a Clean Heart. It is meant to be a companion to our daily Lenten emails, which begin the week Lent starts. If you haven’t already, now is a wonderful time to pick up the book and sign up for the daily reflections.
It is already a bestseller on Amazon. You will love the daily journey we will take together. Become a Paid Subscriber to join us.
Back at Christ Church
My wife and I planted Christ Church in Plano in 1985, and I served as Rector for the following 31 years. I love what I am doing now, but I loved those years.
Making my way back into the Sanctuary this week, I have to say that it is still one of the most beautiful churches I have been in. It is not a traditional church like the kind you visit in old Europe or England. It is a contemporary structure, but the effect is the same (for me). It moves me. It still does. I took a few pics:
A personal request.
I will be out of pocket for a few days recovering from surgery. I would deeply appreciate your prayers for healing, patience, and rest.
Thank you, dear friends, for walking this road with me. Thank you for reading, praying, and believing—still—that Jesus fixes everything.
Grace and peace,
David+
The Anglican
The Anglican is the Substack newsletter for LeaderWorks, where I share insights, encouragement, and practical tools for clergy and lay Christians. I’m also an author of over a dozen books available on Amazon.
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This story just thrills me! Thank you so much ❤️❤️
Jesus healed me from my multiple addictions, gave me a purpose, and changed my life.