Irreplaceable mom

News came from Malaysia in the morning that my mom, whose life was supported by the oxygen machine, has now rested in the peace of the Lord.

Her last words were few, as she couldn’t hardly eat, breathe or speak during her last stretch of life. It was quite amazing, however, that one day before she breathed her last,  she testified to my uncle in Australia over the phone, “Don’t worry, the Lord will take care of me.”

Mom had been wrestling with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for 12 years. During those years, even under unfavorable health conditions, mom accomplished great and amazing things… She took care of her ailing mom until grandma passed away. She paid regular visits to her terminally-ill friend. She was the greatest encourager and intercessor for my brother who faced great challenges during his graduate school. She was highly supportive of ministries in the church. She never failed to visit families with new-born babies. She always kept her daily devotion with the Lord. She read the Bible diligently, and even completed her self-study of the Book of Ephesians and Book of Revelation with the help of solid Bible commentaries. She prepared every meal, and together with dad hosted numerous Bible study meetings at the home…

The tenancy of mom’s faith in the Lord was fostered during her single years, when she was sent by the Ministry of Education to teach at a suburban school on a hill, Chinese Elementary school of Simpang Rengan (端本华小). With precisely no other Christian friends to share her faith at where she was, mom thrived with a strong determination to keep her personal relationship with the Lord afresh daily. Our Lord God was in favor of mom and sent her special visitors every week. Trained in fluent Mandarin, two dedicated British missionaries came onto the hill to conduct weekly Worship Services. Joining mom occasionally at the services were the wife of the school’s principal, one other female teacher and the school’s secretary. As resources were scarce, no refreshment was served after the service except during Christmas time. That was one of mom’s very fond memories of the past.

Mom’s faith continues to grow over the years as she faithfully walked with the Lord … Finally, her faith shines brightest in the dark valley of suffocating lung disease. Mom’s health consistently deteriorated over the last 12 years, and in the past 9 months, she needed 24-hour breathing support of oxygen machine. Her activities were limited, and she could no longer attend church.  Hence, relatives and church’s friends frequented the house to visit her instead.

One of my closest friends Sherrina paid mom a visit, and shared with me that she was greatly encouraged after the visit. Sherrina was truly amazed that even though mom could not breathe like everybody else, mom never failed to smile graciously. Mom’s trade-mark smile was very genuine, full of peace, and entirely comforting. Anyone who visited mom will leave the house remembering her God-testifying smile.

Indeed, mom is precious. She is irreplaceable. Even though she has gone with the Lord. She will be remembered.

Last, I would love to quote Holley Gerth’s The World only Gets One You as the eulogy to my beloved mom. http://www.holleygerth.com/heart-to-heart-with-holley/2011/5/20/the-world-only-gets-one-you.html

You with your gifts.

You with your smile.

You with those things you do.

So take your place,

take your chances, *

take this moment to know…

You’ve got something to offer.

Something good and right and true.

Something God-given,

Heart-of-Heaven created.

And the rest of us need it, need you.

Oh, you think it’s no big deal.

Anyone could be that way.

Anyone could do it.

Nope.

Not true.

There’s just one irreplaceable you.

* Mom had not only taken her chances, she seized all her days on earth to testify how a well-lived life in the Lord would be. She had a Big God. She therefore had a bright smile.