One Day at a Time

When I was planning for this memorial dinner, I asked myself why would I want to do this and what my response would be to questions in people's minds as to why do we want to revisit the past pain and grief?

Firstly, I wanted to use this occasion to express my personal thanks to all of those who have played an important role in our lives over the last years. On top of that it is to recognise and honour the woman that God gave to be my helpmate for the past 25 years.

Kathryn has been God's gift to me and my family. Those of you who know my personal story, the period of her illness coincided with another challenging period in my life in which I was faced with a company dispute and a court battle. She stood with me through the entire time always encouraging me to keep trusting the Lord for his deliverance from this case. She was my constant prayer partner and intercessor. Thank the Lord just recently, we have been cleared of the court case.

We just celebrated Easter. Easter speaks of Jesus power over death.
I often think about Jesus' miracle in the raising of Lazarus. I think the greater message is not that Lazarus was raised back to life but in that Jesus had the power over death. And because of that we shall also be raised together with him. Because he is the resurrection and the life, we can have the assurance that we shall be raised up with him.

However, having the confidence that Kathryn is with the Lord right now and having the hope that we shall one day meet again does not lessen the pain and the grief that we feel. We feel just as devastated as anyone else would be. What is the picture of grief? Sometimes, it is not only the one who is in sackcloth and ashes but also the one who may be smiling and appearing to act normally as well.

This memorial dinner also gives me an opportunity to answer some of the unasked questions that you like myself would have concerning about someone who is grieving over the loss of a dear one. Sometimes we feel uncertain how to bring up such matters and so we keep them in our minds and our hearts.

How have we been coping individually and as a family? What has happened since?

Well, life has simply got a bit more complicated. Trying to cope with a life that doesn't conform to the usual 'happy ever after' endings is challenging. You try to manage the twists and turns in life and yet try to experience God's grace in a season of wilderness. It's like learning to find meaning in the midst of grief, finding joy in the midst of sadness.

Thank the Lord for three wonderful children who have been patient with their father as he copes with managing the new situation. God has been very gracious to them.

I was hoping to be able to complete a book on Kathryn's life in time to share it with you at this memorial dinner. However, it has been a challenge trying to stay on top of things while managing the day to day responsibilities. I will let you know once it is completed.

Thank you to those of you who walk the journey with us by following the blog that I write regarding my journey. Needless to say, the journey is still continuing and we can only trust God to lead us one step at a time, one day at a time.

MT
1st Anniversary Memorial Dinner
7 May 2011