Time Stand Still...

Seems like Autumn brings out the introspective side of me. For some reason the lyrics of a Rush tune with the title 'Time Stand Still' echo through my gray matter..."Summer's going fast,nights growing colder-Children growing up, old friends growing older..." There will be no more growing older for my dearly departed buddy(and fellow Rush fan) Jeff Johnson. He was granted leave from this existence April 18, 2010, to the profound sorrow of an impressively large number of folks from many different walks of life. Jeff, or Rounder, as he was known, was a percussionist. Drummers are a dime a dozen, but to refer to Rounder as merely a drummer would be an insult to him and the countless hours he had worked honing his art. I had the honor of  working with Jeff in several bands, playing everything from outlaw country to metal, and we were told more than once that his drums and my bass were a powerful force to be reckoned with. But, much more importantly, Jeff was my friend, and a true friend that wasn't afraid to tell me when I was full of it, which he did...on a number of occaisions. He taught me that friendship is looking out for each other, and for twenty-one years we had each others' back. He also showed me that true faith is not about what church you attend, or even if you attend a church, but whether or not you had a relationship with the One who created you. Over the years I saw Jeff grow spiritually into a solidly grounded man of God, and while he was subject to the same weaknesses as the rest of us, there was an underlying faith that was unshakeable. My wife Kerri and I had the great privilege of spending Jeff's last weekend with him. 350 miles between us had put a serious damper on our hanging out, and workloads, family responsibilities, etc didn't help any. So we spent most of  April 16 and part of April 17 with Jeff and his wife Heather, and had an excellent visit. But on April 18, the liver cancer Jeff had been fighting for six and a half years delivered the final blow, and Jeff went home to be with his Saviour. We had an agreement, though- in all the years Jeff and I were buds, we never said goodbye to each other. It was always'see ya later, Bro' because goodbye sounded too permanent. At the funeral, before they shut the casket for the last time, I strolled up, patted Jeff on the shoulder, and softly said" see ya later, Bro" because, even though Jeff's body is no longer functioning, his soul is more alive than I can imagine, and if there are drum kits in heaven, then heaven is a VERY loud, happy place, and I know who is making most of the racket. Rock on, my Brother!!!!!!!!!!!