As you know, traveling through airports is no fun. It’s a hassle on a good day and frustrating on others. Packing, parking, waiting on shuttles, going through security, more waiting, getting to your gate, more waiting, boarding, finding your seat, watching others find their seats, struggling to place their luggage in the overhead bin and finally the grand safety speech!
On this particular trip, my flight had a layover in Chicago at O’Hare airport. In case you didn’t know, a total of 77,296 flights took off or landed Chicago O’Hare International Airport in June 2025. Suffice it to say, it’s a busy airport with throngs of fellow travelers looking for their gate, checking the status of their next flight, and if they are fortunate, they have a few minutes to grab a bite to eat.
As I was standing in line for a sweet treat before the next leg of my journey, I heard a familiar refrain. It was barely audible over the throng of people moving in all directions, but it was there. On a piano, one note at a time, I heard:
”Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so…”
I looked around to see if others heard it too, but no one seemed to be paying attention. As I listened, the melody went from one note at a time, to a more robust rendition with chords and piano runs and yet, still, no one noticed.
Eventually, I spotted the man playing the piano and made my way to him through the crowd to thank him for his spontaneous performance. After a few minutes of small talk, we went our separate ways.
As I walked away, I had a couple of thoughts about the interaction:
I was first reminded of the simplicity of the gospel that so many know about, but few take the time to really know Him or listen to His voice. The most important message that we can ever know, or experience is the reality of Jesus and His love for us. The throngs of people passing by were either too busy or consumed with other more important matters.
Secondly, my own heart was pierced as I thought about how many times that I have been that traveler who is too busy to stop, listen, and hear His voice. In my mind, I have good reasons for not stopping to listen, but it is often to my own un-doing and harm.
The incident reminded me of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke, chapter 10. Martha was distracted by much serving, while her sister, Mary sat at His feet.
I wish that I was more like Mary as Jesus pointed out that she had chosen something wonderful that would not be taken away!
So, if you are like me, I hope and pray that the next time I am burdened by schedule, activity, or even serving that I will stop long enough to listen for the clear refrain of “Jesus loves me this I know” …because it is true.
Dick Whitworth
Director of Operations, STAR 99.1 | Listen Now
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thank you for sharing this with us. Yes Jesus loves me for the bible tells me so
We are often sooo busy to hear God speaking to us. I too might to be more like Mary serving our Jesus.
Blessings,
Linda Goldstein
You’re welcome! And thank you for your kind words about the post.
Life happens fast and Jesus speaks in a still small voice, which means I have to be intentional to listen, and to be honest, I’m not great at that. In fact, I am pretty bad at it! I still have a lot to learn.
Thanks also for listening to STAR 99.1. We are grateful to have you as a part of our listening family.
Dick Whitworth