I only know about him.
Without God's hand upon him, we have no Singapore.
I wish we know him more as a person, as a papa, as a grandpa rather than just remember him by what he has done for Singapore, which is definitely beyond what any man has done.
He gave his whole life for a nation of 'strangers', even the ones who are ignorant and choose to be ungrateful for what we are so blessed with.
Have been praying with people for him to receive Christ and now we will still continue to pray for his family, for now it's his loved ones who greatly need our Lord's comfort and peace and all that is in Him.
When my late mum suddenly died during my A Levels, my only wish was to
die with her to be 'reunited' with her.
That seems so absurd now yet I know this is not uncommon in people who love their loved ones so much that not to know where he/she has gone to after death is extremely torturous.
I had unresolved grief for more than a decade.
I wanted so much to talk about my late mum, to and with everyone who knew her cos I wanted to grab, to recap whatever memory that I could, of her, from her and store it in my mind and heart as she could no longer be seen physically.
But people who love me, because I always cried when I talked about her, mistakenly thought that not to mention my late mum was the best way to help me get over my grief.
Overcoming grief doesn't work like this, now I know.
The year I received Christ, the grandma of my good friend (the one who led me to Christ) passed away. I went to the memorial service.
There was peace, totally unlike the wake of my mum, that entangled knot that grew tighter every day and nearly strangled me to death.
The pastor spoke of a mother's love and how we surrender our loved one to Him in death.
I cried all my sorrows out, nevermind that I attracted too much attention, nevermind that I didn't really know my friend's grandma.
Finally, I found God!
Finally I can live with just the memories of my mum.
I don't need to make her 'alive' to love her.
I can let go of her.
At the time of her death, I was not in Christ and couldn't share the good news with her.
It took me a long while to open my palms and say, "Lord, whether my mum is saved or not, it's up to You, not me."
Maybe, just maybe, someone shared with her in the hospital.
Knowing this, can we not do something?
"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
That seems so absurd now yet I know this is not uncommon in people who love their loved ones so much that not to know where he/she has gone to after death is extremely torturous.
I had unresolved grief for more than a decade.
I wanted so much to talk about my late mum, to and with everyone who knew her cos I wanted to grab, to recap whatever memory that I could, of her, from her and store it in my mind and heart as she could no longer be seen physically.
But people who love me, because I always cried when I talked about her, mistakenly thought that not to mention my late mum was the best way to help me get over my grief.
Overcoming grief doesn't work like this, now I know.
The year I received Christ, the grandma of my good friend (the one who led me to Christ) passed away. I went to the memorial service.
There was peace, totally unlike the wake of my mum, that entangled knot that grew tighter every day and nearly strangled me to death.
The pastor spoke of a mother's love and how we surrender our loved one to Him in death.
I cried all my sorrows out, nevermind that I attracted too much attention, nevermind that I didn't really know my friend's grandma.
Finally, I found God!
Finally I can live with just the memories of my mum.
I don't need to make her 'alive' to love her.
I can let go of her.
At the time of her death, I was not in Christ and couldn't share the good news with her.
It took me a long while to open my palms and say, "Lord, whether my mum is saved or not, it's up to You, not me."
Maybe, just maybe, someone shared with her in the hospital.
Knowing this, can we not do something?
"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
