Chase

Driving home this afternoon I suddenly realized I was not paying attention to what I was doing….driving! I was lulled by the GPS guiding me along the route and I was really very unaware of my surroundings. It has been a long 24 plus hours, a dear friend went to heaven this morning. Back to my point, when I did focus a jolt to be seeing “Charles St.” Oh how utterly amazing. You see, this was my friend’s proper name. But we all called him Chase.
Let me just share a snippet of this friendship. When I was missing from our congregation at church time and time again dealing with health issues. Chase always sent me a message. How are you Deb? We would exchange a few lines. But repeatedly he was consistent in doing so, it meant so much. We became close over the years and during his battle with cancer I found that I was placed to help a time or two. We shared a lot of stories with each other. He was an unconventional guy and he had a charm that was delightful. He’d like to say things to throw you off your game or see if you were paying attention. He had a brilliance about him that few would know if they took him at appearances. We loved him truly.
But the encounter of Holy Spirit in the last hours we sat by his side are worthy to go beyond the walls of the “rose room”. I am going to try and step you through this sweet reader.
Eternal sleep appeared, a flood of emotions for his wife Mary Jo. Decisions… tending to things at hand. Gently we went through the last hours. Steps were taken for him to be returned closer to home. But in this waiting Mary Jo wanted to follow some traditions. One of which was listening to a Messianic Jewish service that they had routinely shared in each Saturday for 13 years!
I had the privilege to be apart of this time of worship. Through the phone Chase was mentioned in the kindest and most loving way. And the music was inspired.
One of the songs kept repeating Selah. I know within the Psalms we see this written and have known it as a ‘pause’. But I knew the meaning must be deeper. Looking up the Hebrew definition this is what I learned: Selah means ‘forever’. How beautiful, but there is more the root word which is Salal and with the “l” its meaning is “raise voices in praise” or “make the instruments louder”.
My heart was overflowing with joy to learn this as it had been sung over my friend. Chase is a musician and has been a dedicated member of our church worship team for 30 plus years. God was letting us know the heavenly band just got a little louder.
So, it was your final walk down Charles Street…. But just around that bend, well all things are made new!
Love can be unconventional a lot of the time but the treasure is never forgotten. And you have your forever Chase! Selah.

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Chase

Driving home this afternoon I suddenly realized I was not paying attention to what I

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