“ Well Done My Child ”

(Reflection for the Funeral service of Kirsti Svanøe Styker)

Texts: Psalm 121

          1 Corinthians 13:1-13

            Gospel Matthew  5:14-29

 

Prayer:

 

“ If death ends all, then evil must be good, Wrong must be right, and beauty ugliness. God is a Judas who betrays his Son, And with a kiss,

damns all the world to hell--If Christ rose not again.”

That haunting poem was penned by an unknown soldier killed in WWII.

It reminds us of Paul's reasoning in 1 Cor. 15:12-19 which begins, "But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" and closes "If only for this life we have hope in Christ,

we are to be pitied more than all people."

Job, writing several thousand years ago articulated a question that has bothered humankind for centuries: "If a person dies, shall he/ she live again?"  Human beings are fascinated by the mystery of death. Rodin, the French master sculptor best know for "The Thinker," attempted to capture the emotions provoked by the first human death in a sculpture of Adam & Eve embracing the dead body of their son Abel. 

Instead of reflecting pain & sorrow, their faces seem inquisitive about the mystery of death. Curiosity about death has persisted throughout the ages. And even more than this a curiosity about life after death.                     

And that is where we pick up the story. Today, as we consider Jesus' statement to the good and faithful servant, our own curiosity about death and the life after will be satisfied. Jesus' statement of the resurrection: Is he brought death from the shadows to the  Light

I consider myself a privileged person to have known Mrs. Kirsti Styker for the past four and half years not as most of you. Knowing her is nothing short of a blessing. She encouraged me, and was a good critic of my sermons. She consistently reminded me to spent more time with my family and not to work too much. Oh! She what a servant  of God in heart.

 Friday, October 12, I called Mrs. Styker, because I haven’t seen her in Church for a couple of Sundays and asked the usual stuff, how she was doing, and if she was up for a visit. Oh! Yes, please come, but in an hour, she responded. I knew then what she was up to, an hour later when I arrived, she had a spread of Norwegian open face sandwich with goat cheese, which she knew I like.

As we settled down, she invited me for a walk through the garden of her life. The gate to garden was made of soft steel with two guards who kindly opened the gate for us. The journey begun with her life stories in Northern Norway and the work she and her husband Pastor Arthur Styker did among the Laplanders. She had fond memories about life among the reindeers, beautiful summers, the cold, isolation, and long winters.  She paused, as if she to collect her thoughts, and without a word she disappeared for awhile, she returned with a large Norwegian Bible and tacked between the pages of Psalm 121 was a small plastic bag about 3” x 4” and in it was the hair of her first child who died at infancy. We both sat in silence as she admired the hair of her baby. The silence was broken, when she asked me to read the Psalm.

Pastor Samuel, do you think God has room for me in heaven? There was a pause!! I replied saying, Yes! I believe God has room especially reserved for you, Kirsti, you are a woman of God. You have served God all your life and without any doubt in my mind God has a especial room for you. Besides, the Bible tells us that there are many rooms in God’s house for all who put their trust in God.

This time we have walked quiet awhile and she was getting tired I sensed, and had wanted us to go back before it gets dark, but she insisted we go on a little further. As we walked and talked we came across a brook which has no bridge, there we stood silently as we watched the autumn leaves sailed swiftly between the rocks. It is like boats in Norway, she whispered. She motioned me as to say let us continue, so I held her hand as we crossed the brook by stepping on the larger rocks.

The trail led to a park bench (Mt. Sinai Hospital), there we sat and talked more. She shared stories of how she knocked on doors of stores in Montreal to get things for the Norwegian Seamen’s church bazaar, several times her husband Pastor Styker would get a phone in the middle of the night to go and bail out drunken sailors. She spent countless hours feeding and taking care for sailors on Norwegian ships passing through Montreal, which loved to do.

She thanked God for children and their spouses, grandchildren, she would in a while say I love my children, they called me every day to see how I am doing. Oh! My Billy, he so shy, but he is a good man.

While we were having this conversation many of her friends came by. Some brought beautiful flowers, wild flowers they picked on the trail, others brought Norwegian chocolates, cookies, home made soup, smoke salmon sandwich, fish balls, some brought safe journey cards and many other goodies. The smoke salmon sandwich, I ended up eating them.

But after the visitors had gone, she became a bit restless and bossy she wanted every thing to be precise, the chocolate must be put away in certain way.  Spoke more and more in her native tongue with English between sentences. She was saying to me, pastor, I have so much I would like to talk to you about, but I cannot express them in English.

Just then, a good friend of Kirsti Styker came by, this two have known each over fifty years, they once travelled to Norway together, and they had a lively and marvelous visit. Then came the pastor of the Norwegian Seamen’s church in New York, they had a heartwarming visit and the pastor broke bread with her before returning to New York.

As we got up to continued our walk She said to me do you notice something different? I said yes, but I am not sure what it is. You see all the people we met on our walk were going the opposite direction. I said yes, she then said to me, I am not going back the way we came into the garden, but you must. Soon, very soon night would fall and it will be pitch dark, but God will lead you out of here with his light and hope to continue his work. We walked for a long time without saying a word.

Three quarter (or two and half weeks before passing) way through our walk, she motioned to come closer for she has something to tell me. She had a dream about heaven. It was so beautiful she said. Tell more I requested. I saw min husband and min baby….. and mentioned several names of people departed saints from St. Ansgar and else where. Tell more, what else was happening? And with a lovely smile she said I see many, many Norwegians.

Sadness filled my heart as the sun was setting rapidly beyond the hills, and soon it will be dark and she is not coming back the way we got into the garden.  As darkness approached she asked if we could pray to God for one request, what is it my friend. I would to spend Christmas Eve with whole family, which the good Lord saw fit to grand her. The family sang carols with the guitar compliment, and she enjoyed every minute of it. By this time we could only communicate with our eyes, her voice, the voice that sang ten thousand hymns and songs had faded. Sunday, December 29, the walk became much slower, and in her eyes I saw the two escorts ( angels) who open the gate at the entrance of the garden.

Darkness has finally arrived she would fall asleep and awake in the presence of God her maker. I could not say my favorite word “Jag komma til backa imorn” I knew it, and she knew it. And as I turned to leave, in her eyes she was saying “takk for alt”, say thanks to all my friends for being there for me. And specially thank children and their family for being there for me every step of this journey. 

 

Letter from Heaven: Please read this letter to my children that I love them dearly …

"To my dearest family, (Günnhild ‘Dusty’, William, Roy, Ellen), some things I'd like to say…But first of all, to let you know, that I arrived okay. I'm writing this from heaven. Here I dwell with God above.  Here, there's no more tears of sadness; Here is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight. Remember that I am with you every morning, noon and night. That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through, God picked me up and hugged me and He said, "I welcome you.

It's good to have you back again, you were missed while you were gone.
As for your dearest family, They'll be here later on. I need you here badly; you're part of my plan. There's so much that we have to do, to help our mortal man."

God gave me a list of things, that he wished for me to do. And foremost on the list,
was to watch and care for you. And when you lie in bed at night the day's chores put to flight, God and I are closest to you... in the middle of the night.

When you think of my life on earth, and all those loving years, because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears. But do not be afraid to cry: it does relieve the pain. Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.

I wish that I could tell you all that God has planned. If I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand. But one thing is for certain, though my life on earth is o'er.
I'm closer to you now, than I ever was before. There are rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb; But together we can do it, by taking one day at a time.

It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too; That as you give unto the world, the world will give to you. It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too; That as you give unto the world, the world will give to you. If you can help somebody who's in sorrow and pain;
Then you can say to God at night...... "My day was not in vain."

And now I am contented... that my life was worthwhile. Knowing as I passed along

I made somebody smile. God says: If you meet somebody who is sad and feeling low; Just lend a hand to pick him up, as on your way you go. When you're walking down the street with me on your mind; I'm walking in your footsteps only half a step behind.
And when it's time for you to go... from that body to be free. Remember you're not going..... you're coming here to me."

Author.......Ruth Ann Mahaffey

 

Kirsti Styker never wrote a book or published any scientific findings, or traveled the seven seas, yet in her humble way and simple faith in Jesus Christ. She has touched countless lives by her kindness and love for people, including this African preacher. I am forever grateful that her family invited me to be part of their mother’s final life chapter.

Kirsti Styker is an incredible woman of faith. She served God faithfully, she ran the race of faith, kept the faith, and finished the race. Well done, Mrs. Kirsti Styker you have earned your rest. Our hearts are forever touched by your journey through our lives.

 

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep

your heart and mind through Jesus Christ Our Lord

Amen.

 

 

 

 

January 4, 2003

Rev. Samuel King-Kabu