Since Christine’s Death…

I had a week of wonderful time with family and tearful partings last week in California. My sister and her husband, Connie and Doug, as always, were gracious hosts. I also was able to spend time with their daughter and her husband, Jess and Tim, and with Christine’s sister and her husband, Susan and Harry. We shared each other’s company and our memories, and we laughed and cried together.

One of the highlights of the trip was attending a Bible study with Connie and Doug that Doug leads every week. Several of the people at the Bible study I already knew and some had met Christine, and others were people I met for the first time. They were all warm and supportive, and the evening with them lifted my spirits. They affirmed for me what I have often witnessed of Christians and am experiencing firsthand now: In times of difficulty and grief, Christians rise up and support and encourage each other, even across time and distance.

Since my return to Madison on Monday, I continue to work toward my return to duties at Westwood and the handling of personal matters. I have had some wonderful phone conversations this week with family members and dear friends and had an enjoyable dinner and visit one evening with one of our Westwood couples.

Among all the cards and personal greetings that Nancy, Dave, and I have received are some that bless me beyond words. Here are three examples, one that I would have expected and two that I did not:

• The preacher who baptized me and who has been a lifelong family friend sent me a very encouraging letter. He and his family attended Westwood for a brief period of time in the early 1960’s while he worked for WCMA, our state church planting organization.
• I received a card and note from a lady in Vermont who attended Westwood some in 1998 when she was in Madison while her grandson had a kidney transplant. She has followed Westwood since then through our newsletter, saw the news about Christine, and sent her card. I have never met her.
• I received a card, note, and memorial gift from a Mennonite church in Dowagiac, MI. A week or two after Christine’s funeral, her brother had preached for the church. He told me afterwards that he had left his sermon material at home, and so he told them about Christine’s accident and death. That moved them to send a card and memorial gift.

Also this week, a dear friend sent me a verse from a prayer of the Irish saint, St. Patrick. It expresses how we need to seek out Christ in every circumstance. If you would like to read the entire prayer, I have posted it on my blog (follow the link in the sidebar.).

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

God bless,

Ken