A Tribute to Jill Austin

Jill Austin went to be with her Beloved Jesus in heaven at 7:48pm Pacific Time today, 1/9/09.

A Seed Falling To The Ground...

I had the privilege of spending the final week of Jill's life on earth with her. I am so grateful that God divinely orchestrated such precious time with my spiritual mama though we both didn't know it at the time.

We had many meals together, shared lots of smiles and stories, but more importantly shared with such vibrancy our hopes and dreams for seeing the arts and creativity once again restored to our Beloved Creator.

I shared with her a dream I had a couple months ago that got her excited about doing dramas again. In the dream, Jill was just getting off a plane in California from Kansas City. As she arrived, she handed me a flyer with characters such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty all over it. She wanted to put on a conference where each of these stories would be told prophetically to the church through drama, film, music, and the arts. It was to call the Bride of Christ to come out of bondage into our rightful place as His royal sons and daughters through creativity.

I think that is why it's been so difficult to let her go. I've had to wrestle with the thought that her destiny was somehow aborted. But I was reminded of the Scripture:

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)

As she poured out her heart and vision for the arts to be restored this final week, she was surrounded by young people. She would share stories of her "Empty Cradle" drama about abortion that used to be seen by 8000 people in one weekend during the 70's and 80's. Jill would tell us that people would flood and weep in the altars during her performances because the heart of God was so vividly displayed.

We couldn't keep our mouths shut as she spoke as we were filled with excitement, screaming, "YES, THIS IS WHAT WE BURN FOR. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO. YOU'RE PUTTING LANGUAGE TO OUR DREAMS!!!! DRAMA, ART, MUSICALS, FILMS, TV, DANCES, SONGS THAT DISPLAY GOD'S HEART." Her dreams came alive within us as she spoke and we left every meal with a passionate resolve in our hearts that said, "Let's do this!"

I believe that her destiny is far from being aborted but is now being handed over to a generation to be multiplied as we honor this steadfast forerunner.

A Prophet of the People

Another moment that lives on in my memories of Jill happened just a few days ago on January 2nd, 2009. Jill and I were having dinner at Higher Grounds Cafe when a young man out of nowhere bowed down to introduce himself to Jill. He raved at how much she has blessed him and his friend through her ministry.

Jill was clearly embarrassed by his gushing remarks but she continued to ask his name, where he's from, and genuinely took interest in getting to know him and his friend. We even rode over to the Luke 18 Conference with them.

When I asked her about that whole experience and if it's hard to stay humble, she said, "Going through everyday life keeps you humble." She later whispered in my ear during worship, "You know how Princess Diana was known as the people's princess, I want to be known as a prophet of the people. I want to be with the people."

I believe that desire came to pass in such an unexpected way just a few days later. As she fought for her life, literally thousands in the body of Christ throughout the world stopped what they were doing to intercede and cry out on her behalf. People were glued to their iPhones and laptops, awaiting news of their beloved Jill. Day and night, their hearts went out to her, full of love towards a woman who they encountered once in their lives but it changed them forever.

Although the loss of Jill is sudden and tragic, I believe it happened the way she would've wanted it to be... dramatic. In her finale, she once again gripped the hearts of the people, made us weep, and ultimately led us to gaze upon the one that she loves, Jesus Christ, who's arms she rests in both now and forevermore.

Take a bow, Jill, from the balcony of heaven, and know you've moved us once again with a story about you and your beloved Master Potter.