October 18, 2006
I went for a walk today at my favorite walking place, Sunny Lake Park. With my newly filled mp3 player in hand, I set out. The songs that played are ones that I have listened to over and over again the last few months, some of them for the past few years. It was very quiet, and I was just surrounded by the words of the songs. As I walked along the black asphalt path, I sang along quietly to the music. Some of the path was still wet from the rain, and the fallen leaves were covering it. The bright yellows and oranges covered most of the otherwise black path. I couldn't help but think of how much more brilliant the streets of gold in heaven must be. I started to think back to last spring when Jeff came along on one of my walks. I remember him trying to keep up, and every once in awhile I could hear his feet drag just a bit behind me. "You doing okay?" I would call behind me. He was still there smiling, I can still picture him in his sweats and his hat. I was so worried about getting too far ahead, I didn't want to get out of his sight. When we got about half way around the path, I can remember Jeff starting to run. He ended up passing me and got so far ahead of me that I could not see him anymore. I can remember being so amazed that he was able to run farther than I could and I could not keep up with him! As the end of the path came into sight, I could see Jeff waiting for me before he got into his car to go home. That was the last time that Jeff was able to run anywhere, and the vision of him running will not leave my head. As I walked the same path today, I became very emotional as I got to that point in the path when he took off and went ahead of me. Someone that knew Jeff sent me the lyrics to a song sung by Mark Harris called I Wish You Were Here. Part of the song says "So don't cry for me. I'm finally free... to run with the angels on streets made of gold, to listen to stories of saints new and old, to worship our Maker... that's where I'll be when you finally find me." And as I walked a path golden with autumn's leaves, I worshiped our Maker through the music and thanked him for the beauty around me. I know that at that same moment, Jeff could have very well been doing the same thing as me but on a level I have never experienced. I witnessed Jeff run here, and I can only imagine how much farther ahead of me he is now. But I know when the end of the path is within sight, he'll also be waiting for me as I finish.
Use the control the listen to Wish You Were Here by Mark Harris