There are three brief thoughts I would like to share with you this afternoon. The first is in reference to something that happened when Joseph in the Old Testament was about to die. Joseph gathered his family around and reminded them they would not be in that place forever so he made them promise that when they left they would take his bones with them and bury his remains in the land of promise. In essence, he was saying, do not leave me here; take me to a better place. For four hundred years, his people kept that story alive and when they left, they took his bones with them.

Jax’s remains are still with us and soon will be laid to rest in places that she loved which is oh so appropriate. However, her “bones”, the structure by which she lived her life, her story, our promises to her and Britton, we keep alive and take with us to wherever we go from here. Even though her soul has gone on to more exciting things, we keep her story, he life, alive in us.

The second thought is in reference to a doctrine of the Church – the Communion of Saints. Ten years ago, I spent a week with some Benedictine monks and nuns at Pecos Abbey in Pecos, New Mexico. For a week I worshiped with them, received the sacrament each morning, prayed the Psalms with them throughout the day, engaged in Adoration each evening, and before we went to bed we would all pray the rosary as we faced Our Lady of Guadalupe. Before leaving, I knelt in their presence as the Abbot blessed me. It was a wonderful week of retreat and refreshment.

Before I left the monastery I spoke with the Abbot and shared with him that among all the things I had grown in my appreciation of that week was my awareness and the reality of the communion of saints – the faithful who have died and now live beyond the veil of this world. The Abbot looked at me with a smile on his face and said, “They really are our brothers and sisters, they are our friends.” They are people of untold number who live and worship in the presence of God. They see a vision of what and whom we can be if we will give our selves to God fully in faith and it is for that which they pray. That is Jax’s reality now. And, although we are sad for our loss, we can rejoice and celebrate because we have another friend in heaven.

The third thought is in reference to a funeral I attended for the wife of a colleague about twenty-five years ago. My colleague’s name was Manfred and his wife’s was Ruth. Ruth had died suddenly of a heart attack at choir practice a few days previous. The Bishop of Mann’s denomination came to officiate at the service and I can still remember his text from Ezekiel 24:18, “In the morning I preached the word, in the evening my wife died, and in the morning I did what God had asked me to do.” I had read and studied the Bible for years but had never remembered those words until the Bishop read them that afternoon. The Bishop’s point that day was in the midst of tragedy as shocking, surprising, and unfair that it is do not forget to live.

During the past few years some health issues have slowed me down so one of the things I have done to keep myself going is to live vicariously, or I might say “Arcariously” through the many pictures posted of the activities that Jax and Britton and all of you, their friends were doing. I would look for a long time in utter amazement, especially this “Tough Mudder” thing that appeared more recently. Yesterday as I looked at all these pictures and the amazing life that Jax lived again I thought, wow.

This morning about 4:30 I woke and was reflecting on all that has brought us to this place and it hit me, it wasn’t how Jax lived that made her who she was, it was how she loved. It was her love that drew people to her, it was her love that would pick you up, and that is what we miss, and that is why we feel so empty. Jax fulfilled the words of Jesus, “love one another as I have loved you.” As we move on from this place, we will do what God has asked us to do, love one another as Jesus and as Jax loved us. Do not forget to live, and do not forget to love. In God’s name and to God’s glory. Amen.

-- Eulogy from Rev. Joel Garrett

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