Knocked Down and Picked Up, Reassured and Comforted

Kay and I grew up in Inverness, Florida, a close-knit community in central Florida about an hour south of “the Swamp” in Gainesville. According to the late historian Mary McCrae, Inverness got its name from a lonely Scotsman, far away from his home, who gazed upon the blue waters of the Native American-named Tsala Apopka Lake and thought the area looked like the headlands and lochs of Inverness in Scotland. Having visited Inverness, Scotland in 2015, I can understand why.

All of us have precious memories about where we grew up in addition to a number of stories. Kay and I remember April 1962 when the musical movie, “Follow That Dream,” starring Elvis Presley was released by Mirisch Productions. The reason why we remember April 1962 is because numerous shots for the film were made in Inverness and surrounding areas. Kay and I remember Elvis well. He would often surface between takes, interact with his fans, flirt with the girls, sign autographs, and throw the football with bystanders. Elvis even visited the local “5 and Dime” hardware store and purchased enough squirt guns to supply every kid playing Little League Baseball.

Kay’s mother reported for the local newspaper and her brother served as extra in a courtroom scene. Kay was usually in the mix of things with Elvis always close by. One particular afternoon, Elvis walked out of his trailer in preparation for another take. A group of teenage girls saw him walking in their direction and in their state of ecstacy, they ran towards Elvis not taking notice of Kay. In their exuberant charge, they accidentally knocked Kay to the ground. Kay was nine years of age at the time, the same age as our granddaughter Leila. Elvis noticed the commotion and immediately ran over to Kay, picked her up, straightened her dress, signed his autograph on a sheet of paper, gave her a nice kiss on the cheek and said, “I hope this helps you feel better.” After eight years of courting Kay and forty seven years of marriage, I’m still not allowed to kiss her on that spot. (Think I’m kidding?)

We find ourselves living in a most unusual time. I’m still trying to adjust to an empty sanctuary and quiet building. When I stand in the chancel delivering a message for Sunday morning, the sight of the area around me is unsettling, No one is sitting in the pews and there is no Kirk Choir behind me, There is the absence of a baby’s cry, children running up and down the aisles, no ushers standing in the Narthex guiding visitors and no sharing of the peace Sea island style.. Instead, I am met with stillness and silence.

It is my belief that God in Christ is using this situation to teach us a number of things, one of which is to avoid taking for granted the place of the triune God in our lives: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we get knocked down unexpectedly, who is there to see it and who is there to pick us up, brush us off, lift us up and share a sign of friendship and support?

One of our Evening Psalms for April 20 comes from Psalm 124, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” When all is said and done, when there is no wind in the sail, no breeze at our back and no road rising to meet our feet, it is the Lord who is always there to render his care and compassion. When we get up in the morning and go about our work and chores, as we try to adjust and adapt to everything that comes our way, may we remember, God is with us in the person of the risen Christ. In the words of the apostle Paul, “May Abba Father strengthen you in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. (Ephesians 3:16 ff.)

Knocked down and picked up, reassured and comforted in the peace of Christ Jesus, our work continues in his name as we remain calm in a time of distress, extend compassion to the suffering and pray for the healing of the world. Good night my friends. Stay safe! Stay well! In Christ +

—
Steve Keeler, Pastor