Free

Time has traveled on since May 8, 2010. Today is the second anniversary of that awful, amazing day when Janie Booth's family ushered her into the waiting arms of her savior. It's weird trying to recall to my memory every aspect of the day. Parts are so vivid, and I'm sure I'll never forget them; other specifics and details have faded some, which I'm told is normal.

Pastor Dave told me that when you lose a loved one, it seems to take two of all the special days of the year before you really begin to feel more like a normal person again: two birthdays, two wedding anniversaries, two Thanksgivings, two Christmases, and, perhaps most significantly, two anniversaries of the day of their death. I'm not sure how normal I am (I'll leave that to you all to decide haha), but I thought it would be good here on this second anniversary of Janie's home-going, to make a special post.


Now I've never claimed to be a poet (and as you'll see, I shouldn't start now!), but I did pull together this little ditty back in January of 2009. I was obviously, at the time, comparing our (future at the time) loss to Janie's gain in heaven (Philippians 1:21).

Free
by Chris Booth

Don't cry for me, (my dears)
Cry for yourselves if you please
But I'm gone now, I'm gone now
And I've just started to live!

Sorry I've left you, (my dears)
Left behind in the Shadowlands
I've got a new use now,
A new use for these hands:

They're touching the robe of the King (my dears!)
Touching the robe of the King!
And I can use my voice (my dears!)
To sing praises again to the King!

Suddenly - oh the rapture -
Suddenly - I'm healed!
Suddenly - dead's alive again -
Suddenly - I'm free!

So don't cry for me (my dears)
Cry for yourselves if you please-
But I'm gone now - I'm gone now
Oh suddenly I'm free!

So long, so long, so long
Going to breathe the free air now, so long
Oh He is calling, so long, so long
I love you forever, so long!

***

Ok, so I'm no Shakespeare, but I do know Janie would have liked it...and no, I never showed it to her. But we did talk about the subject, and this poem came out of those conversations. It makes me feel so much better to think of her whole...free of disease, free of pain, free of fear and heartache.

Jesus, please tell her that we here in the Shadowlands are doing ok. Life has it's challenges, pains and struggles, and we miss her a lot. But we are walking with you, Lord, through it and are emerging by your grace and strength.

Today, Janie has been in the very Presence of God for 730 days, and that is of course a mere drop in an infinite ocean. And the thought gives us joy.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is GAIN." Philippians 1:21