We watched a movie last night. It was the true story about a fifteen year old boy named Luke, who was killed in a car accident. The family–father, mother, brothers and sister struggled to accept the fact Luke was gone. They were steeped in grief and disbelief. One of Luke’s brothers played on a college football team and had difficulty returning to college life–his classes and football practice.  One of his coaches counseled him, attempting to get him to return to “normal” life–football practice and his classes. The coach said, “Human beings have been experiencing birth and death every day for millennia, and yet we still can’t get used to death. We still resist it.” I think he’s right.

My first reaction on hearing anyone die is, “No!”

This afternoon, I’m attending a friend’s funeral. Karen has been a friend for nearly fifty years. I knew her through a women’s group called Stonecroft. Together, we served on committees, planning for monthly events. When we first met, she was a young woman. That was nearly fifty years ago.

Karen was quiet and unassuming. Steady. You could count on her to do what she said she’d do. She was organized and precise. Anything she did was with excellence.  I enjoyed her constancy and calm spirit. For a time, she was the Prayer Coordinator. In the old days, we had a phone chain. There was a list and Karen was at the top and bottom of the list. If you had a prayer need you’d call her and she’d start the phone chain. I can remember calling Karen, asking her to put a request on the chain. Her voice was always calm and I still can hear her say, “We’ll pray about that.” That’s it. “We’ll pray about that.”

Since the phone chain days, we’ve gone from answering machines to cell phones, to texting. Now when there’s a prayer request, it’s an email request sent to a batch of women. It was Karen you’d email to place a request on the prayer chain email.  It’s good. It’s efficient. Yet, I won’t forget that soothing, calm voice saying, “We’ll pray about that.”

I will miss Karen, but I am comforted with the knowledge I will see her once again. She is with her Savior, Jesus. It’s a comfort to know God knows each one of our days are numbered. Psalm 139: 16 says, You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

I’m consoled by the words in Psalm 116:15, Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.

I know she is in perfect peace. She is not dealing with heart issues and pain or concern for her family. She is with Jesus. Karen is fine. It’s me who’s sad.

I’ll miss that steady, kind woman who has been present in many important events in my life, the last was my wedding to Jim nearly ten years ago now.

I will miss seeing her at the ticket table where she last served. I’ll miss her at planning meetings. I’ll miss knowing I won’t hear her voice that I still remember, “We’ll pray about that.”

All of us will face death one day. But when we believe in Jesus Christ, he promises us eternity with him. For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NLT).

I know Karen believed and because she did, she’s in heaven with Jesus, her Savior.

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