Tribute to Jimmy

Every year around this time I subconsciously start to get depressed.  Then I look at the calendar and realize that 3 years ago on April 16^th began the worst week of my life.  It was the day I found out my boss, my friend, and my brother in Christ passed away. It was literally the worst week of my life.  I hope I never have to experience that ever again.  I did not just get a phone call telling me the sad news.  I had to be the strength for my sister as she sped to his house, knowing in her heart he was gone, but not having the proof. . . yet.  I had to keep her calm and collected but the challenge was, I could only do it over the phone.  She was 600 miles from me.  All I could do was talk to her.   Keep her calm when she couldn’t get there fast enough, keep her calm when the stupid nurse at the hospital told her smugly that “he wasn’t dead”, and then, as she ran from the hospital  to his house, the phone went dead.  I had to wait.  Wait what seemed like hours to get the call.  The confirmation that we knew in our hearts.  My heart sank.  I have never in my life lost someone so young, so full of life.  A month shy of turning 27, Jimmy passed away.  He was in the bathroom and had a seizure.  He fell and got tangled in the shower curtain and suffocated.   Jimmy, my sister’s fiancé.  Jimmy, who was so kind to let me work for him from home so I could get extra money and be with my family.  He gave my 9 yr old daughter a uniform so she could work at his store anytime she was in town.  My son was the first baby he had ever held, which made him the happiest I had ever seen him.  My then 3 yr old still remembers how funny it was when he dropped his glasses in our toilet and called out to us from the bathroom "Hey everyone come see what I just did in the toilet" LOL.  Jimmy, one of the most self-less men I will ever meet.   I felt hopeless. . . devastated.   I was so far away, but I knew I would be there if my sister needed me.  She did need me.  So at midnight I booked a flight for later that morning for my 3 kids and myself.   I didn’t have anyone that could drive me the 2 hrs to the airport, but I knew God would give me super human strength.  The strength to make the drive on no sleep and with tears streaming down my face.  The strength to carry 2 huge suitcases, 2 car seats and a 1 yr old baby all the way from the parking lot to the gate.  The strength to be strong for my kids, for my sister, and for Jimmy’s family.  I never could have done it alone, but I knew God could do it for me.  And He did.  He gave me the strength to get there alone, he gave me strength to carry way more weight than I ever could on my own, and He gave me the strength to think clearly when others could not.   When I got to FL it was a whirlwind.  There was a funeral in Seminole, and also a funeral and burial in Miami.  All in one week.  God worked miracles that week, in ways I never could imagine.  We had so many loving people bring food and let us stay with them.  Some were strangers to us, but they felt like family.  The funeral was beautiful in Seminole, and then we needed to get everyone to Miami.  My poor sister packed her bag for the trip, but packed everything BUT the necessities.  I can’t imagine what was going through her mind.  I helped her pack up and we were on our way with our parents and my kids.  This Sunday morning at church we sang “O, victory in Jesus”, which made me tear up thinking of Jimmy.  Even three years later, it is still very raw.  When we were in Miami, that is the song my sister sang at his funeral.  She started singing up at the podium, and then she started choking out the words, and the whole congregation started to sing along with her.  It was such a beautiful moment; I know Jimmy would be smiling down on us seeing how much we all loved him.  It was a very precious moment that I will never forget.  After returning to Seminole, we had to get Jimmy’s business taken care of.  Since I worked for him, I took care of canceling orders and returning money to his customers.  Most were understanding, but I got a couple nasty emails saying they didn’t believe he was dead and that I was lying.  I must confess I wasn’t the nicest to them in my reply, but I am glad to say my sister never had to deal with their cruelty and insensitivity.  That was one of the hardest things to deal with so soon after his passing.  Every year at this time I say a special prayer for his family.  I still feel the pain of losing a friend; I cannot imagine the pain of losing a son, a brother, a twin.  I cannot imagine the pain they feel, and will forever feel.  I can only pray they have comfort in knowing Jimmy is with the Lord.  I have no doubt of his salvation and I know he is in heaven right now, wondering why I am sad.  Knowing he can hear again, knowing he will never have another seizure.  We should rejoice for him.  Still, it makes me think of my family and friends.  How many of them would not be so lucky to go to heaven.  How many of them need the salvation Christ offers freely.  If even one person got saved from Jimmy’s death, I know he would feel it was all worth it. I know I would.   It does not ease the pain, but it would bring some sort of comfort.  We each have to look within to accept salvation.  Noone can do it for you.  You have to reach out to Christ, confess your sins and your need for salvation, and believe He will save you.  I know I will see Jimmy again.  That puts a tiny smile on my tear-stained face.