I remember. Which given my age is no small thing, but I want to talk to you about big things. Steve has set the parameters of my comments by the very name of his blog: biggodbigthings.
How big is God,
How big and wide His vast domain?
To try to tell, these lips could not impart.
He’s big enough to rule the mighty universe, Yet, small enough to live within my heart.
This little ditty has been around a few years; and in spite of its simplicity, it has stuck in my memory. It came happily skipping into my mind as I thought about what I could share about such a lofty subject. The question that haunts me is, in fact, the first statement of the chorus of this song: How big is God?
Steve and the word big are synonymous to me. Steve looms in my life with his energy, humor, intensity, creativity and love. He and God are both close in my memories of my beginning journey as a new Christian. It was in 1972, I believe, when we first met. It was at Glorieta, a wonderful retreat center outside Santa Fe that flourished back in the days when we Baptists all gathered to celebrate and sing and re-energize. Every summer was like a revival and we were awash in Agape love. It was what one refers to as “the good old days.” I was out there for the showcasing of a new work that I had written with Buryl Red called “Celebrate Life!” There was this red headed girl that was driving me crazy named Cynthia, and in the crowd was Steve Seelig. When the production was over, and the crowd was worked into a fevered pitch, I came from back stage to meet the audience. Steve Seelig hugged me in a big way. I did not know who he was, but his spirit was affirming and honest. Those who have been enveloped by his warmth know what I am talking about. And as surely as I fell in love with Cynthia Clawson, I fell in love with Steve. He was the name I offered when people would ask me who my best friend was. I always said, “Best friend? Steve Seelig.” More about that in a minute.
Through the years – there have been about 41 years since that auspicious occasion – the paths of the Courtney’s and the Seelig’s have crossed and intertwined. Sometimes we were in the same town, sometimes in the same church but always in the same family, that’s how close we felt. Should time and circumstance cause us to not see one another for a period of time, we always picked up with our friendship as though we had not been apart a day. We had been together during the beginnings of our respective families. I have a cherished photo of Steve with me at the hospital when Lily was born, just a quick snapshot with me on the phone calling everyone about the birth of Lily, and he was weeping. You see he already had a daughter, and he was happy that I now had a daughter, too.
Will, Lily, Stephanie and John Mark all grew up to be PERFECT. We grew older and more or less content. We all grew in our faith and were trying to serve the Christ who told us of something about how big God is. All of us had our bouts with illness; but we all survived, and rebounded knowing it was by God’s grace we were still here working, witnessing, loving and living. And then Mr. Seelig, who always had to be the funniest, the leader, the best in every endeavor he attempted, got THIS disease making the rest of us look like pikers when it comes to suffering and big things like cancer! I did not believe it. It was just some sort of reaction to all that nerve damage from his spinal problems. Steve is a giant and nothing can stop him or even slow him down. After all, what would I do? He was my best friend. I needed him to hang on till I went … first! I remember waxing poetic on his web Facebook – well, if the truth be told – I was more nearly spouting purple prose than poetry about how much he meant to me. It was sobering to read his Facebook there after! There were hundreds, if not thousands, of other people protesting that he was THEIR best friend, not mine. I was nearly consumed with jealousy.
It took me a few days and reading a post by Stephanie to get me to see that Steve was big enough to be the best friend to all of us.
But as to how big God is? I don’t really know if one can quantify God by making Him a size. The fourth chapter of First John says that if you love, God is in you and you are in God. How big is God? As I look toward the day when we will all be with Him in eternity, I feel that we won’t spend that vast stretch of forever plucking on harps and oohing and ahhing over our prospective mansions lined up on streets of gold. No, we will have the joy of exploring the mind of the One who surpasses all we can conceive as we are welcomed home.
God is ultimately a mystery. I have learned that as I ask all those questions for which there are no apparent answers, I can trust Jesus who revealed that God was our Abba, who was just crazy about us. As for the big things He does, this list is long: light, life, love, joy, peace, comfort … just that half a dozen things like this little list makes me lift my heart to heaven and say, “Thank you, God, for letting me partake in all of this reverie. And thank you for Steve. And thank you for Jesus who is Steve’s best friend.”
Ragan Courtney
www.ragancourtney.com

Ragan with Jeannette Clift George
AD Players benefit concert
Steve Seelig
Bigger than life!
That’s how I have seen Steve.
A commanding presence in any room he entered:
*A stage with tens of thousands present,
*a strategy meeting with other “power brokers”
*or a hospital room of a friends child who had cancer.
He is the epitome of a creative genious who not only dreamed but “did”. I seldom understood how it got done but if he dreamed it he got us to do it.
He saw potential in others (who may not have seen it themselves or believed) and he pushed, connected and birthed ministries many who blessed many in praise and teaching.
Live large, think big, believe with unbounding faith and things can be changed for good – close at hand and beyond eternity. Steve has lived this. It’s his legacy and he sees it in those he has blessed.
And to think I not only stood by and marveled at what God does through him – I got to call him friend.
He and Bonita are part of the faith community who nurtured my family. We are blessed to be part of the Seelig family embrace.
Stephanie and JM are two of our favorite people.
It’s good to be reminded of how we have been loved.