Cheryl King Funeral

All of us here knew and loved Cheryl.  Thank you for your love and support of her family during this time.  I am sure she would be happy to know you are here for them.

I also want to thank Mike, Steve, Jeff and the rest of the family for the privilege of ministering here today.  I, too, loved YaYa.  All of our lives here are intertwined.  Let’s reflect on who she was to each of us, and the impact she’s had on us.

Cheryl King was among us for 75 years.  During her time, she was notably a wife twice, a mother 3 times plus one (Randy), a grandmother 8, and a great grandmother 7.  Cheryl and Fred, her husband of 34 years until his death, raised three boys.  Cheryl would then be married in the eyes of God to Bill for another 20 years, who along with his departed wife, were lifelong friends and classmates of Fred and Cheryl.  Bill has consistently demonstrated his love for Cheryl as they lived out life together.  I’ve admired how Bill has attentively cared for her needs, even as her health failed.

Each of us as a person is reflected in how we order our life, how we direct our attention and time.  As we have spent time talking about Cheryl the past few days, we’ve counted many of her attributes and what she cared about.

I am a student and a study of people.  I tend to pay attention to a person’s attributes.  I’m especially interested in this because I enjoy seeing in people the echoes of God.  We are told that all men and women have been created in the Image of God.  We believe, that when exercised and displayed in a way true to God’s character, God’s attributes in people will shine through. People can reflect the echo of His Image upon themselves.

Myself, I knew Cheryl for nearly 40 years.  She immediately welcomed me as a teenager into the Clan, in her most gregarious way.  I found her acceptance of me to know no bounds, and I don’t think my experience was unique.  Considering my experience, as well as her list of attributes, I’d say one of Cheryl’s strongest qualities was grace.  Often times a huge, open armed, expressive grace.

As a God-echoing attribute, grace is one of the most important.  True Grace doesn’t brush aside what is right, because that would be cheap grace.  Instead, genuine Grace embraces the other person in truth and invites them in, usually at the expense of the grace-giver.  True Grace says “I accept you, even with your faults.  We’ll get around to addressing those, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”  True Grace has never met a stray she wouldn’t allow in the house.

I love true and pure Grace, because this is what Jesus has offered to me and everyone else ever to exist.  His Grace says “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt 11.28-30) “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14.6) Jesus, the truest expression of God, offers a boundless Grace as He invites us all into the House, if only we will accept.

You certainly experienced that echo of God, that grace from Cheryl.  If you think her huge displays of grace were wonderful, then consider the magnanimous Grace of God in His offer of forgiveness. The first step is to accept Jesus’ offer to let you into the House.

We’re all glad she was a part of our lives, and we’ll all miss her.  Thank you, Lord, for YaYa.