The Life Worth Living...
Jesse Anderson
1987 - 2004
Hello my name is Georgette Goodrich and I am here to celebrate the life of our dear friend, Jesse.
Jesse was a young man of integrity and high moral character. Jesse chose to live a lifestyle free from candy bars... when he was wrestling and also the use of alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco, the use of vulgar or profane language, the use of pornographic materials or web sites -- Jesse chose to wait for sex until marriage.
But more importantly Jesse was a born again, Bible believing Christian! Jesse was Pure!
Jesse loved Jesus and it was so very evident in the life that he lived. Yes, his life was cut way too short, but what an incredible impact he has left on all of us. The Scriptures say
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According to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20-21) |
When the Apostle Paul wrote this what he was saying is that the meaning of his life was Christ... and in death he would gain because he would be in union with Christ. By Jesse's death he gained immediate unity with the living, loving, Almighty God.
Jesse was NOT someone that would sit on the fence. Jesse knew what he believed in and lived it. He didn't teeter at all.
He was not someone that would say, "I believe in Jesus, yes... I am a Christian" but then get pulled into our worldly culture and do things that were not Christ-like.
He wasn't someone that would say, "I am sexually abstinent!" And then say - "She's so hot, I've got to have her!"
He wasn't someone that would go against his beliefs, convictions and high moral standards.
Jesse was a young man that stood for everything that was good and RIGHT!
Jesse stood for whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is admirable. As Scripture tells us in Phil. 4:8
I am the director of Education for Life, an abstinence education club. Our mission is to educate, empower and challenge teens to embrace their hopes and dreams for a bright future by making healthy decisions.
This club is made up of teens that have chosen to wait for sex until marriage. JESSE WAS OUR VICE PRESIDENT!
We take the abstinence message into our local schools, juvenile hall and church youth groups. We use skits, role-plays and games to share the important message of making good and healthy choices for one's life.
Jesse was barely 14 years old when he became involved in EFL. He had a passion for sharing with his peers that waiting for sex until marriage was the right way to live. He was well aware of the consequences that someone faces when they have sex outside of God's designed plan for our lives. He would share with teens that he did not want to face a girl friend having an unplanned pregnancy. He didn't want a nasty sexually transmitted disease, or more importantly a BROKEN HEART. He didn't want to disappoint God, his parents, his brother or sister, his friends, his pastor, his teachers, his youth leader, his coach or his future wife. He wanted to live a life that was pleasing to God and he didn't want any regrets. JESSE HAD NO REGRETS!
When we present the abstinent message in schools we ask the students what kind of qualities they are looking for in a relationship. Here is a list of qualities that always appear on the list. Good looking, honest, trustworthy, smart, sense of humor, athletic, loyal, kind, caring, compassionate, a listener, patient, supportive, not lazy, loving, same beliefs/morals/religion, a VIRGIN!
As I dwell on this I realize that Jesse had every single one of these qualities. Were girl's hearts broken when he died so suddenly? You betcha! Not because he had ever given himself away to any of them, but because he had all the character qualities that girls are looking for in a future husband. Jesse respected women...YES, he loved girls! He was a normal teenager, he had hormones...just like you and I! You know when God was creating us He wasn't in Heaven just handing out the hormones to the non-Christian kids. He in fact, gave them to the Christians as well!!! Jesse had self control and self discipline. Self control is not something you can just push a button and bam you have it...it is something that is developed over time. He was still in the process of developing that self control and he was being successful at it!
Jesse wanted so desperately to share with his friends and young people that waiting for sex until marriage was a COOL thing to do and that it gave him freedom. Freedom to enjoy life and FREEDOM to succeed in everything he wanted to accomplish!
Some would say what an ironic twist of fate that Jesse died on his way to share this powerful abstinence message at Del Norte High the morning he died. BUT...I must say it was not ironic at all... it was the character and the person Jesse was. He had his priorities in order, he knew what he believed and because Jesse confessed with his mouth, "Jesus is Lord, and he believed in his heart that God raised Him from the dead" as Romans 10:9-11 says. Jesse was saved!
So, on Wednesday January 14, 2004 - a little after 8am Jesse came face to face with the Almighty God! I want you to envision with me Jesus giving Jesse a hug, and Jesus looking into Jesse's eyes and saying, "Well done, Thy good and faithful servant!" I can assure you that every angel that came to greet him received a famous, "Jesse HUG!" Maybe some "high fives" and I am positive that Jesse did a little JIG!
God Bless you all!
- Written by Georgette Goodrich, January 15, 2004
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