By Kathleen Kjolhaug
It’s quiet. Not even the pine cone dangling at the tip of the branch is moving. Stillness lay in wait as if to honor the passing of a saint who lived among us. Her name was Roxanne. If you did not know her, perhaps you know someone like her as saints seem to leave behind their essence of holy. Like butterflies a flutter here and there, arising from where they pass by remains joy, blessed assurance, words of faith spoken in steadfast love, and did I mention joy? Encourage they do, as the Almighty does do, and as Roxanne did do.
Oswald Chamber speaks words which magnify that which is lived by saints among us. “A river touches much of which its source knows nothing.” Touch lives Roxanne did—so many lives not only touched but embraced, lifted in prayer, spoken into as she poured out Christ upon others. She would be the first to say that all is a miracle. She lived well that which she spoke. “Trust God because He knows what He’s doing!”
Yet, the sun peeks through the quiet of the pines—like the Son reflective of the Light Roxanne poured out upon others. In splashes she poured forth like baptismal waters—dousing those in her presence with Love’s pure Light. “From where does our help come from? From the Maker of heaven and earth” so says the psalmist in Psalm 121:1, and so would say Roxanne.
She shed light upon the pathways of others because He shed light upon hers. Doors opened and she’d walk through—all the while opening doors for others—allowing them to go before as she knew He went before her always and in all ways (Deut. 31:8).
Leave it to her to barrel on over to the other side of the veil on the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas. “Tis a gift, you know,” would be what she’d say. And even though “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh,” our Roxanne would joyfully counter; “Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Each moment lived was resurrection reassurance that He alone is God and we are not. Trust in Him was not only a truth she held deep within, but one she lived through faith in action—not her action but the overflowing of the Holy Spirit within her. Life was meant to gift away—pouring blessings on those in her midst. Her heart-felt hugs greeted all who entered her space of grace, and another given as each departed from her presence.
How are we to carry on what Roxanne lived so well? According to Micah 6:8, three things are required of us. “To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” Just as He directed her path, He continues to direct ours as spoken of in Isaiah 30:21. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Like the words spoken by St. Francis of Assisi, may we envision Roxanne saying the same. “I have done what is mine to do—now you do yours.” May heaven be blessed by the saint who arrived on time—just in time to do what she must do on the other side of the veil.
Our precious friend was Jesus with skin on. She has tagged teamed an army to “Go, therefore, and make disciples…” Matt. 28:19. May we continue equipping because that is exactly what her Jesus did—equip. May we, like she, “trust Him because He knows what He’s doing.” Amen.
