The Eternal God Is a Dwelling Place
As North Carolina whizzed past the windows, Chris Benoit zipped open his duffel bag and pulled out a small leather-bound notebook, it was brown and had the word “Forever” embossed on the cover. It was a gift from his wife. A pen was clipped to the elastic strap that held the book closed. Opening the book, he skimmed through pages and pages of handwritten notes, until he came to the first blank page, where he stopped and began to write.
Dear Eddie,
I know that you are gone, but I still feel like I’ll be seeing you on the road next week. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a friend as good as you. I could talk to you about anything in my life, and you always helped me to make sense of things or change my perspective. Whatever I was going through, whatever issue I had, you never pointed the finger. It is because of you that I believe in God. I don’t know the bible like you do, I can’t quote scripture like you can. I remember when we’d be on the road and you’d open up your bible and read passages and apply them to whatever we were talking about. You used them to make so much sense of everything.
There is a quote from Ester M. Clark, it writes.
“Give me one friend, just one who meets the needs of all my varying moods”
This is soooo you. You are my spiritual guide, Eddie. Whenever I read Job I think so much about you. All the tragedies that happened to you. When you came out of rehab with nothing but the clothes on your back. You had physically, mentally and emotionally and monetarily, hit rock bottom. You lost your family, Vickie, and the kids. Instead of becoming bitter, you became better. You overcame the odds. I learned so much from the examples you set, and I am doing my best to make you proud while I am still here.
Sometimes I wonder why we do it. Sometimes I wonder why I stay in this business. It is so demanding, physically, mentally, and emotionally in every possible way. But I do love it. And I know you loved it too. I don’t think I’ll ever find someone that I bond with better than you. I am not looking forward to staying on the road, not that I ever did, I hate the road, but it’s so much harder without your company and camaraderie.
Like always I love you, and I miss you. The road isn’t the same with out you. I feel lost and confused and I don’t really have anyone I can talk to. It is killing me to be apart so much from Nancy and Daniel. They are the only ones I need right now. Nancy is so beautiful and she is my best friend. And you’d be so proud of Daniel, he’s such a sweet and smart little boy.
I want you to know that I have been reading a passage from Deuteronomy 33:27. “The Eternal God is a Dwelling Place”. It is comforting to me to know that the lord is holding me in his arms.
I love you so much my friend, and I’ll see you soon. Goodnight, Eddie.
He snapped the book shut and sighed. Leaning to his side, Chris Benoit rested his head against the cool glass window of the limousine. “Almost home,” he thought, “almost home.”