My Wife Karen - Comments (4)

Category: Articles,My Life
Author: John Malone
Date: 11th February, 2018 @ 06:55:19 PM

Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it “

As a Christian in a local church, I suppose one can take for granted the love Christ has for his assembly, continually giving His wonderful blessings.

Such love is above and beyond His and our Father’s love for the world.

In Jesus Christ, you find One Who always loves you better.

And it is a blessed man who finds a woman who always loves you more, always loves you better. Karen always loved me better, and no one ever loved me as much.

I could speak of my love for her. It is measured by my broken heart today. I am loving the thoughts I have of her as I write this.

But she always loved me better. And if you were close enough to her, you discovered she loved you better, too.

Karen was a spring of life and happiness. Though she could no longer bear, she still gave herself to continual motherhood, becoming a grandmother before age 40, and still nurturing her children and many, many grandchildren to her final hours.

Karen was a person who constantly thought of others, and who moved my mind to follow along in her giving ways. She arranged herself for the benefit of others. This is the very definition of kindness.

Karen was kind to a fault. She even provided food for squirrels & rabbits & birds. And cats.

But her lap was always open to the many children who carry her traits.

Karen never wanted things. Except for the kids and their kids. She believed we were a wasteful society. Therefore, she was going to privately non-conform. When it came to things for us, I was the one pulling her into any spending.

Karen did some things you probably don’t know about.

She was the first Nebraska “Home School Grandma,” graduating from homeschool our oldest granddaughter, mom being a homeschool graduate.

Karen also founded the Warrior sports program. She never wanted that credit, but I wanted it for her. You see, that is how she was, so modest.

I took Karen out of that program, and other such life endeavors, because I needed her in our Africa adventures.

Without ever wanting it, Karen enjoyed a life of true adventure, always inside the faith. She visited China, spending weeks in fabulous places, in 1991.

She enjoyed a spectacular visit to the UAE, hosted especially by an oil sheik and the Regional Chef of the Intercontinental Hotels.

Karen sparkled in such settings. So pretty!

In Kenya, East Africa, Karen and I found especially romantic places, together with some difficult and hard work.

But we always took time to revisit a special and simple place called the Kentmere Club, just as we – with me pulling her – visited the fabulous Mount Kenya Safari Club, the ‘Ol Pejeta Ranch, Sweetwater Tented Camp, and even a tent on sticks in the midst of the waters of Lake Naivasha, amongst hundreds of hippos. We rode an ATV together through the Masai Mara, and saw each of the Big Five game animals.

Karen’s favorite adventure times were riding: once on a horse in the midst of so many animals, including elephants, and another time she rode a camel.

My wife Karen was an exciting woman, I can certify, and she thrilled me to my bones. The thoughts of these amazing rendezvous we arranged in our lives are both keeping me from and making me cry.

I realize the Scriptures teach is to “judge not.” And to “judge nothing before the time.”

But please allow me to reflect.

Because I have written about a few things out of an entire life, and even then only a slight reference.

Karen’s life was marked by much sorrow. She just took it so well that she wouldn’t let it bother anyone else. She actually called me to cheer me up in 2007 when she discovered she had the cancer that finally killed her.

She suffered in very many ways often at the hands of physicians.

This was part of the way of the cross in Karen’s life. That way that we don’t like to talk about.

She didn’t talk about it either. “I’m not a whiner,” she would say. On her death bed, she saw me in tears. “Don’t be a wimp,” she said, “You have to hold everything together.”

Because the glue of our amazing family was leaving us.

So my assessment is not what matters, the Lord will judge us all at the judgment seat of Christ, and that’s where I’ll see and be with Karen, and most likely some of you.

But in my assessment, Karen’s was a triumphant life, one well-lived because she loved us so well.

Good night, lover.