Body In a Box

In the past week, two people related to the people in my circle of friends and acquaintances have died. The first, a the wife of a pastor who is friends with my brother. She was diagnosed with Cancer this summer just a month after I had lunch with her, her husband, a friend of both them, my brother and a friend of mine. I was in complete shock when I found out that Judith had inoperable cancer. She just seemed to be fine when I saw her. The kicker is is that she also had just had her and Jason's son Ole. He is now only about six months old. He will not remember his mother but will only have the memories of his father, his family and friends. 

The second person to pass away this week is the father of a good friend of mine. He died Sunday night in a plane crash. He was a volunteer pilot in Red Deer, doing a training session. The fog around the area is what apparently caused the crash but authorities are not confirming anything. Although I have not met Kristine's father, I know that he was a great man because of Kristine. Kristine is to be married this next year. She got engaged just a month ago at Thanksgiving. I cannot know or understand the depth of her and her family's pain but I do know the pain of loss and it is not a good feeling.

Judith's funeral is tonight as I write this. I am not sure when Kristine's father's funeral was/is but I do know that they have gone to be with our Saviour. These losses have left my circle reeling but I believe we all find comfort in the fact that they have been taken to be with the Lord.

I was listening to a song call Body In a Box by City and Colour. I thought the lyrics were appropriate but the one difference is that I am confident that Judith and Mr. Nielsen have found the light.

There's a funeral procession on the highway,
Traffic screeches to a halt.
There's people searching for a better way,
To live their lives.
Johnny lived a good life, you'll hear them say
As tears of sadness soak the ground.
The reaper crept in, took his breath away,
In the middle of the night.

[Chorus:]
We celebrate the lives of the dead,
It's like a man's best party, only happens when he dies.
We gather 'round to pay our respects,
While their souls are still searching for the light,
Searching for the light.

So please don't come to me on my dying day,
Just let me go in peace.
With all the things that I forgot to say,
Racing through my mind.
And don't you bury me six feet under ground,
Just burn my body in a box.
And let my ashes blow with the wind,
Out into the night sky.