Christopher Shultz Goeke

West Point, 2008

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Lois Belohlavek on July 20, 2010:

My son, Curt Belohlavek "07" (presently in Iraq) loved Chris deeply. He says we, my husband and I, probably met him at one of the OCF retreats at White Sulfur Springs. Chris relished dialoguing in deep things, and Curt said we would have been in our element with him. We don't find many people marching to that drumbeat. We attended the Chapel Sunday School every time we visited West Point and probably saw Chris there too. Oh, how we treasured being with those kids and the ones training them. While volunteering today, the radio was on and "Can You Imagine" (or something like that for the title) came on. I wondered what Chris would do as he laid eyes on his King - and how that song would be such a comfort to you all. The first time we heard it was at a "Saturday Night Live" OCF gathering in the barn behind the OCF House during a very difficult period in our lives. Listening to a bunch of cadets sing their guts out to that song moved me about as deeply as anything ever has. These were kids knowing they were writing a blank check to their country - a phrase I just recently heard. Jesus's words about really finding life when you give yours up rang through my heart continuously when with West Point people. You can't really live until you are ready to die. That is how I want to breathe. We think of Curt's possible return from Iraq in a flag-draped coffin. It is so awful, yet so achingingly noble. It is hard to come up with the right words to say that. I hope you understand what I mean. It does not seem that there are words that can express such a deep feeling - it absolutely takes my heart away. If I could just see Jesus's sacrifice of His life as clearly - it's become too familiar to me. Please know you have been in our hearts and prayers. I saw Chris's picture on PBS's Newshour's Honor Roll. He and you are to be honored. My husband is overseas in Central Africa and his heart has been in his throat since reading Curt's skype to me about Chris. Curt was in pain. Chris is not the first of his close buddies who have left this earth via being in harm's way. I pray you will 'find life' as you have given up such a enormous piece of yours. Your tears are so much a part of the One who gives and, in His wisdom knowing the whole story, takes away.

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