Be Still And Know That I Am GOD

So, Posey confused the crap out of me this week when she sent a hurried email asking "us" to come up with memories about Karen. I thought she was asking us to speak about Karen at the funeral. Heck, Posey's husband & NothingKnew also thought she was asking us to speak. This was actually not the case. Posey was asking for memories to help her prepare. She spoke today and it was wonderful. But I digress...

The exercise of planning to speak (but then not actually speaking) gave me the opportunity to reflect on Karen, my college years and my many wonderful friends. It was not easy. I didn't want to remember Karen as the frail woman in the hospital or the immaculately groomed corpse in the casket. I wanted to remember Karen's soul. After pealing back the layers of drunken debauchery, I came to her faith and her compassion. I thought about her amazing innocence. For some reason, I found myself drawn to the Gospel of Luke. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter. - Luke 18:17 And that's where I rediscovered the Karen I remembered. I remembered her silliness, her friendship and her zest for life. As the pastor pointed out today, Karen saw the beauty in everything.

Speaking of the pastor's sermon: If you're ever in Oxford, PA and need a place to worship, give Oxford Presbyterian a try. He didn't try to serve up a batch of that "it was her time" or "God called her home" crap. The message was simple: God loves Karen. We want to know why this happened, but somethings are simply beyond our human comprehension. Karen has her answers now because she is a peace with God. As he spoke, I thought about the words, Be still, and know that I am God! - Psalm 46:10

To be still and to know God is not an easy thing. Stillness requires trust. Stillness requires us to be at ease with our surroundings and to be comfortable in our own shoes. Karen never struck me as being "still." Hyper, yes. Insane, you bet ya. Still? Not so much. And yet, listening to the stories about Karen and remembering my own, there was stillness in her faith & in her love. And now, a child of God is still and I believe that she truly knows God.

But all those verses speak to me about Karen. What about me? What about us? The first verse in that wonderful Psalm also helps me this evening. I hope it helps you.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. - Psalm 46:1