“Karen’s Notes!
Insights from a Glory-Bound Lady”

I always have had a lot of words. Some would probably tell me that I have way too many words. I can even remember one of my teachers in public school telling me that I didn’t need to write that much for my essay answer!

But even for a man with many, many words, I find it difficult, if not nearly impossible, to begin to express what it is like to sit at the side of the one that you so deeply love, as she is slowly dying. During those weeks, I was privileged to be an up close eye witness of something horrible and yet incredible at the same time. Karen’s body was wearing out; however, her faith and joy in the Lord grew stronger and stronger. For my Karen, this clearly was the operation of 2 Corinthians 4:16, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

Selected Notes
Volume 1 Number 3 “Giving Thanks at the Feet of Jesus”

Karen was reading Luke 17:11-19. It is the account of the ten lepers who were healed. The one leper who returned to the Lord Jesus and glorified God was of particular interest to her. It was Karen’s intention never to lose her sense of gratitude to the Lord because of Who He is and what He was doing. She wrote herself a note that goes with this text of Scripture.

“And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:14-16).

Karen wrote: A man from Samaria who was despised by the Jews; sick with leprosy, was an outcast, needed a Savior. He needed a friend. I, too, came to Jesus dead in my sins with nothing to offer Him. But (Romans 5:8) “God commended His love toward me that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.” Now I am His. What privileges that come with this relationship. I have the Holy Spirit within; directions for life, access to the very Throne of God and eternal life.

Mike’s observation: Karen didn’t write about the nine lepers who never returned to give thanks. She was really touched with the Samaritan who came back (Luke 17:15a) and gave great glory with his lips (17;15b) and who fell on his face at the feet of Jesus (17:16). As she grew sicker, Karen often prayed, “Lord, I cannot get down anymore and actually fall on my face. But in my heart I am face down at your feet. Thank you for being so good to me.” She wanted to be thankful even though she was not physically healed. She knew that the Lord was truly worthy of worship and thanksgiving. Gratitude does not depend on favorable circumstances. Gratitude is an attitude of the one whose heart has been captured by Christ.