Karen Richardson

Yesterday Karen Richardson entered the kingdom of Heaven. So amazingly true, and so incomprehensible that I can hardly put Heaven together with humanity in my brain. I know that Heaven is true and there but to think of us going there is so crazy. Beautiful, but crazy. We get to go to this place that was prepared just for us. God knows the number of hairs on our head. He has numbered our days. He knew us before the foundation of the world. He knows the intricacies of our lives and he prepared a place just for us. To me that means tailor made. A place tailor made for us. I don't know if that is accurate, I'll have to ask Adam.

The passing of Karen has got my mind thinking a lot. A few years ago when Aaron was starting up the PBC choir, I was in it, and I would try and recruit people into the choir when I talked to them. Once I talked to Karen and asked if she was busy Thursday nights because she should join the choir. She told me that at that point in time she was "really feeling the need to invest in my children." Those words never left me. They've stuck with me all these years. She did invest in her children. It is totally evident in the way they handled the journey with their mom over this past year. Now I sit here, and I hold my baby, and I think of her and I think, I need to invest in Titus. I need to do what I can in my days with him to pass as much of Christ as I can on to him. What if one day I'm no longer around? Who can influence Titus in the way I can? No one.

Even though Karen has had the physical struggles of cancer and it took a toll, the toll, on her body; to me, she became more and more beautiful. Her love for the Lord so obviously radiated through her body.

I've loved how she didn't keep things a secret but she let us all know what was going on. She shared the struggle. She shared the grief. I loved seeing her family and friends come together to support her. Facebook may serve as a big time-waster, but there are times where Facebook can be so edifying. It was that way with Karen. Seeing her updates and seeing over the months of friends and family visiting and ministering to and serving the Richardson's. I loved it. It set such a great example. I think specifically of Cheryl. Cooking, cleaning, massaging. Loved it. And I love. LOVE. How during the final days facebook was used for people to be able to say goodbye. To write prayers, verses, and encouragements to be read to her. And I love how when she passed, just about every status on facebook had to do with Karen.

She was a precious and godly woman and she has set an example for many of us woman following behind her. No longer can I pray for her healing, but I can now pray for the Lord to heal the hearts of her family.

I was reading Psalm 119 last night and thinking of Kent, Lindsey, Preston and Kailey and I read these verses and they struck my heart for them:

²⁶I have declared my ways and opened my griefs to You, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes.
²⁷Make me understand the way of Your precepts; so shall I meditate on and talk of Your wondrous works.
²⁸My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.