Michael Jackson...."Thanks"

On June 25, 2009, the world lost a tremendously talented individual named Michael J. Jackson who died reportedly from a heart attack at the age of 50. Many of us all over stared in complete disbelief as the news reported that they have confirmed the passing of the king of pop. Some may have cried, screamed, sat in silence, shouted at the t.v. as it reported it while others text, emailed, facebook, myspace, and called friends, family, and others to share this news. I received a call from my friend while I was talking with my wife and I have to admit....it changed the whole mood of the moment. We quickly turned on the t.v. and watched what billions of others around the world are watching and hearing for the first time. What a moment in time, what an event to witness and it happened in the blink of an eye. Michael Jackson...dead. While many of us may have numerous thoughts, memories, and ideas about MJ and what type of person he was, we all have to agree that the impact he has had on the world will be felt for generations to come and if we are honest, in some way, he has directly impacted our lives and has had some influence on us in the past. I remember as a young boy, hearing MJ for the first time with the Jackson 5 with "I'll be there". I heard the song and was hooked and it only got better. I purchased the "thriller" cd like the millions of others that made it the best selling record of all time and listened to it over and over and over and over again. I watched the videos, practiced the moves, bought the clothes, the glasses, the glove. I practiced and perfected the moonwalk and would do it on Que. I had the jacket, watched him collect 13 grammy's, sang all the versus to the song "We are the World" and watched him on Mtv, BET, and other programs. I heard about the millions all over the world who loved him from countries we have never even heard of. This is a man who made music for everyone and was an icon before his time. If you knew MJ, you knew the music was made all by his voice, the songs had meaning, and the dances changed the whole picture and set up the pathway for the likes of every other musician whose has come along since to include Usher, Omarion, Beyonce, Ciara, Neo, and countless others before and after this group. the music...aww man...the music. Remember the times, Black or White, Beat it, BAD, JAM, Billy Jean, Rock Wit Ya, Thriller, Man in the Mirror, The Way you Make Me Feel, Dirty Diana, and on and on and on. We have all made jokes about him, laughed at him for all his crazy ways and actions. We talked about his skin tone, his surgeries, his monkey, oxygen bed, and the little kids. We said he "lost his blackness" but the music said otherwise..."man in the mirror". He employed more black dancers than MC Hammer ever could...and never went broke. (because of the dancers at least) Michael Jackson was our gift for our generation and he was a gift that we all enjoyed and deep down, no matter how crazy, we all loved and wanted to hear. Today, that gift is gone and we all sit and wonder why, how, what could he have done, what did he really do, and what do we do now. I am sad about the loss we have been handed and will miss the music he has yet to make but I have what he left. I also am sad because of a reality in the midst of this tragedy. For all the laughs at his expense for all the "odd" actions he has been a part of, I would say that the sadness is we will never know what was really going on inside of him. We will never know the pain, the sadness, the hurt, the scars he has had to endure throughout his life. Why is that important to us? Well, there is a lesson in it all like any other life we have ever learned from and the worse part of it is he has possibly never been healed from it all. The other reality of this tragedy is his family was Jehovah's Witness as was he as last reported. What does that mean? They do not believe the truth of the heaven God has for us and therefor is not, according to the belief, going to heaven. Pending any recent change he may have made and prayerfully so, MJ's permanent resting place will not be among the angels of God and God Himself in the place God would have wanted him. This is a sad place in my heart because a man with so many gifts that are of God and he may never have the chance to play it for God in front of God. That is the tragedy of it all. This does not make MJ a bad person by any means, it just makes him a person who missed the plan God had for him. Again, a lesson in the midst of his life for us all to learn from. God has a plan for us all to be in heaven and it is our choice to make the change to except that gift. It is a gift that comes with conditions, but a gift well worth the wait. It is my prayer that MJ made that choice and change and it is my prayer that all of you who read this, make that change as well. Except the gift and plans God has for you and make a difference. MJ will be missed greatly and is appreciated by all for what he has done, despite his faults, despite his errors in judgement, MJ's impact will be felt far more and far deeper in a positive light then any negative part he may have had to endure. Thank you MJ for the memories you have left us with, thank you for allowing us to be witnesses to your unbelievable gift, thank you for giving us all of you for so many years. Our prayers are with your family now, may they come to know the God of God's in a way like never before. R.I.P.