Resurrection Sunday we went to my brother's place and said good-bye to Jim's truck.
Some of you are probably going "Huh??"
7 years ago several weeks after Jim died I asked my brother if he would take Jim's truck out to his place. It was sitting in a towing company's storage shed costing us money, but I wasn't sure what to do with it. Again some of you maybe wondering why I didn't just junk it.
Simply put Jim died in that truck.
It was our last connection to him.
Snipp wanted it to complete it's journey home.
I didn't want it in my yard, but I wasn't read to say good-bye yet.
I wanted to touch the seat that had held my beloved when he left this earth.
My brother gave Snipp a center cap from the truck to suffice him for awhile.
He treasures it.
Snapp got older and wanted a center cap too.
He didn't know if he wanted it coming to our place.
Snurr grew and began to ask questions.
I asked my brother if there was one more center cap.
There was. So now all three boys have a center cap with the Dodge Ram on it.
But the truck itself still sat.
Then came the sermon I mentioned in an earlier post:
"Get rid of the evidence."
God laid it on my heart that it was time to junk the truck.
Stop keeping it; let it go.
It was our last connection to Jim.
But it was also a vivid reminder of the trama that caused Jim's death.
I discussed it with the boys.
They were all ready to have it leave.
Snapp wondered what junk yard it would go to and if there was still
any good parts on it.
Snipp said he could care less where it went.
Snurr wasn't so sure about all this.
We went and saw it one last time.
It was smashed up, worse than it was after the accident.
Seven years in the elements and getting moved several times
had taken their toll.
The older boys walked around it. Snurr stood by my side for awhile.
Snipp was the first to be done and walk away.
No emotion. It was just a pile of metal now.
Snapp still found some good parts then shrugged his shoulders.
He gave me a hug and walked to the house.
Snurr walked around it and around it. Many emotions came to his face.
Wonderment, sadness, even a mischievious grin.
Finally he stood by me, raised his hand and gave a little wave.
Then he walked away, looking back at me every so often.
Alone with the truck. I walked closer and touched the headrest.
Images of what those last seconds were like came once again.........
The longing came again, wishing I could have held him as he left this world.
Then I heard the words my preacher had said in his message that morning,
"Why seek ye the living among the dead.......if you've had a love one die, they aren't dead. They are very much alive!!!" I was looking at a crushed up truck, like the women who went looking for Jesus' body.
I closed my eyes and smiled.
Jim is alive. Reigning with the King!!
I turned and walked away never looking back.
