In Christ alone, God’s people win, whether in life or in death.

What follows was posted to my personal Facebook page on July 5, six days after a house fire at a vacation home took the lives of my wife, Charis (age 39); our youngest daughter, Stella (age 5); and four other relatives on my wife’s side of the family—her father, Rev. Dr. Steven Witte (age 66); her sister, Lydia Witte (age 35); and two of our nieces, Lena Henselin (age 8) and Merci Henselin (age 34 months).

A million thanks to everyone who has reached out over the past number of days with condolences, prayers, donations, and offers to help my family— as well as my extended Witte family—after the house fire that has brought such drastic changes to our earthly lives. I haven’t been able to read and contemplate (much less respond to) every single message or donation, but I am more than humbled by everyone’s love and concern for us.

My daughters and I are still shocked at the suddenness of my wife’s and my youngest daughter’s flight to heaven as well as that of our other four relatives. We know that for each of them their primary identity is “child of the heavenly Father.” So by God’s grace we aren’t asking the “why” question so many others are asking because of course it is entirely within the Lord’s loving will to call his beloved children home to himself in heaven . . . to live the Life that is truly life. We are just shocked by the sudden finality of it all and how we are to navigate this new and very different life we were “born” into on Sunday, June 30.

But even amidst the grim darkness and deep pain of this experience, the devil hasn’t been able to shake our confidence that the good Lord who has been with us every day before June 30, 2024, will be with us every day afterward too—and undoubtedly in amazing ways that we can’t even fathom right now. It is simply who our Lord is and what he does. One immediate evidence of his amazing ways are the funding pages that I learned about and that have continued to grow. Many thanks to the whole host of people who have helped virtually to eliminate any immediate and many future financial uncertainties due to this tragedy. This battle of faith is far from over for us, though, so please keep the prayers coming.

It is entirely within the Lord’s loving will to call his beloved children home to himself in heaven . . . to live the Life that is truly life.

Be assured of this: Christ is risen, and that means death has lost in a rout. It’s just that the “final buzzer” of the Last Day hasn’t sounded quite yet. So whoever you are, wherever you are, have a glass of whatever you can responsibly enjoy and toast to the eternal health of Charis, Stella, Steve, Lydia, Lena, and Merci (and to your departed Christian loved ones too) and to how in Christ alone, God’s people win, whether in life or in death. And as you do this, in the back of your mind, relish the fact that our Spirit-worked faith in our victory in Christ vexes the devil in no small way, especially when his evil work only ends up making us more steeled against him. Pray that the Lord would continue to grant us daily grace to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

God grant us all the faith to say with Job: “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21).

Love,

Stephen, Norah, & Vera Kuehl

Postscript: When Forward in Christ reached out to me about sharing my words, I had mixed feelings based on reactions I had already seen on Facebook. While I have been humbled by how many people have been touched by this post, I have also been a little uncomfortable with any focus on me and the strength of “my” faith. Please know that the faith that comes through in this post is not in any way self-wrought; it is a gift I have received through the Holy Spirit’s working in me through his Word and sacraments. In my 42 years of life, I undeservedly have been instructed by my faithful parents, many excellent teachers of the Word in our WELS school system, and the school of 15 years of practical pastoral experience. The amount of time I have been able to spend in God’s Word is well above the norm. Knowing myself as I do, I would not be surprised if, without that blessing, I would be incredibly “lost” amidst this tragedy. I can only praise the good Lord, who graciously works in us the faith we need to stand up amidst hardship.

For more information, see “Tragedy strikes world missionary and his family.”

Author: Stephen Kuehl
Volume 111, Number 09
Issue: September 2024

Walking with Jesus

When I hear about a tragedy, I pray. As an artist, I also find it therapeutic to paint. Sometimes I paint something from God’s creation. Other times I paint memories or a portrait of the person lost.

I read about college friends Hannah and Karl Henselin losing their 12-year-old son in a backyard accident in November 2023 and asked God to grant them healing. When I heard that more of Hannah and Karl’s family members—including two daughters, Hannah’s father and two sisters, and a niece—were lost in a house fire, I found myself drawn to my art desk. Although I did not know their relatives who died, I wanted to create something they could see that would help them imagine the future their family members now have in heaven.

I composed a painting of them walking away into a glorious light alongside Jesus, their Savior. After painting in watercolor and gouache the idea that I created, I sent it in the mail to Hannah and Karl and shared it online, not knowing what kind of response it might get. I just hoped it might provide a little bit of comfort.

Since then, my painting “Walking with Jesus” has been viewed over 60,000 times and has connected me with so many people who were comforted by the visual the painting provided. It brings me joy to know that my work of art can be a witness to the hope that we have in Jesus when our time on this earth is over.

Learn more about Lori Ehlke’s art at ehlkeart.com.

Lori Ehlke, St. Paul and Luther High School, Onalaska, Wis.