A
personal letter that I wrote and posted to Auntie Molly on the 7th of
March 2016.
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Dear
Auntie Molly,
Greetings
from your daughter and friend Daisy. You have been deeply in my thoughts and I am
sad to admit that I have not stayed in touch with you like I should have and
would have liked to. Please forgive me.
I was
speaking to a friend before the New Year who was telling me about the words
that she shared at her grandmother’s funeral. She told me that while
she was speaking, she realised that she wasn’t saying anything that her
grandmother didn’t already know. Oftentimes it’s only when someone passes away
that we begin to express our deep feelings towards them and highlight the good
things about them. We can even express things that perhaps we didn’t share with
them while they were still on this earth.
For
this purpose I am writing you this letter.
Auntie,
I know that you are currently wrestling with the idea as to whether you may
fall asleep sooner rather than later, and I don’t want to wait until then
(whenever that may be) to open my heart to you and to express my deep love and
gratitude for all that you are and all that you have been to me.
I write
you this letter not because you are dead but because in Christ you are ALIVE!
Being a
teenager and somewhat new Christian isn’t easy. I remember when I decided to
start attending Beckton Maranatha SDA Church and how Aunties such as yourself,
Auntie Sarah, Auntie Justine, Auntie Rebecca, Auntie Ruth and Mrs Kavuma really
embraced me and looked after me in the absence of my parents. Back then I
didn’t appreciate your correction regarding my low cut tops, short skirts,
tight clothes and black nail vanish but now I am truly thankful for your consistency
and persistence in lovingly showing me the error of my ways.
Transitioning
into womanhood I learnt so much from you. By example you showed me what it
means to be a woman, a wife and a mother. I watched you open your home to
anyone who was in need. You allowed us to use your home for youth bible
studies, choir practice, Beckton Sisters recordings, church meetings, social
gatherings and even somewhere just to hang out; your home is known to be a safe
haven and a place of refuge to many. I remember when visitors would come to the
house at night just before you were about to go to bed and you would come
downstairs and cook for them and host them. I have seen how God has blessed you
and Uncle with 5 precious jewels and how you have offered them back to Him.
Each one of your children has played such a significant part in my life and
walk with God.
Speaking
of being a wife, I remember one morning when you burst into the girls’ room and
pretty much told us that we were all too young to get married, and you began to
tell us about the true realities of the married life. Auntie, though we were
quite unresponsive, texting on our phones while you were talking and generally
appeared indifferent, I must admit (especially in my case) that you were right. I truly appreciate the
words you shared with us that morning and I have taken note of them. Auntie you
truly left no stone unturned, you even spoke to us about the importance of
cleanliness and female hygiene, I remember writing about it in my journal
hehe :). You have been a living example of your words, and I know this to
be true and I can see the fruit of this when I look at Uncle’s deep love for
you.
What I
cherish the most is our one to one time. I have such good memories of the days
I would sit at your bedside and we would talk and talk. I look forward to
having more of these moments with you. Auntie, I love the way you show such
deep interest in my life choices and especially in my “love life”. I know that
you have been praying for me in this area. I know that you long to see the man God
(if it is His will) will bring into my life to be my husband and friend. I know
that you will be my eyes and my ears and will prayerfully and closely examine
his character to see if he is indeed the Lord’s choice. Thank you for the many
times you have been a listening ear as I have opened up about my hopes, dreams,
doubts and fears.
My
sweetest memory with you is when I took some time out to look after you and to
cook for you. I cooked so many different vegan dishes for you and Uncle to try,
that was a very fun time! I remember asking you if I could practice my massage
techniques on you, I know you love massages, so you happily complied :). I
know we had our disagreements about chicken and cups of Tetley’s tea, but I
honestly enjoyed that time with you. It was a delight to serve you, thank you
for giving me an opportunity to live out my faith practically. I learnt so much
about what it means to be a medical missionary and to love as Christ loves - seeking
to love and draw near to those who He came to save.
Last
but not least, I have been thinking about your faith, your love for your
Creator, your prayerfulness and your tireless efforts in the women’s ministry
department. I once heard that our trials are weighed and measured in heaven
before being given to us. To me this means that anything that may befall us is
fully considered and assessed before it even touches us. This thought was
coupled with the thought that God will not give us more than we can bear. God
knows Auntie, that in Him you can face anything. You have been through so much
these past few years but you have shown yourself strong in the face of bitter
and painful trials. You have clung to your Saviour and Friend, trusting that he
will carry you through. Though you have been disappointed, disheartened
and discouraged you always speak of His goodness. I have never heard you speak
negatively of God for anything that has befallen you.
In Him
you have an unbreakable spirit.
You
have proven faithful to God in all your tests and trials and you will prove
faithful even in this! Please continue to give Him your whole heart, trust and
believe Auntie. Please Auntie, know and believe that God has not forgotten
about you. He longs to walk by the way with you – by waters still and deep
through places high and steep, He will lead you. Your dear Shepheard wants to
guide you through paths of peace and righteousness. Though you feel like you
are face to face with death, believe that in all things He is faithful and know
that you are still beloved of your God. Remember Christ’s precious blood was
shed that you may have life! On this earth, regardless of any sickness, In
Christ you do have life and have it more abundantly. His love for you is
indomitable and stronger than sickness, suffering and death.
Thank you
for holding on for so long Auntie, hold on a little bit longer, His grace is
still sufficient for you. Thank you for setting such a good example. I pray
that we may seek to be faithful to God that we may stand victorious on that sea
of glass and if not we’ll definitely meet at the tree of life. But until then,
while on this earth, may our love for our God be pure, passionate, unhindered,
resilient, unreserved, unconquerable and endless.
Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
….For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come,Nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35, 38-39
With
overflowing love
Daisy
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The letter arrived
safely in London and I asked Auntie’s youngest son Ivan if he could read the
letter to her. Interestingly, every time he went to visit her in hospital he
kept forgetting the letter at home, even though he was sure he had put it in
his inside pocket. To cut a long story short, providentially I ended up reading
her the letter on the 12th of March 2016, when I went to visit
her in hospital.
Sadly
Auntie Molly passed away on Friday the 1st of April 2016. I was deeply
saddened as I honestly didn’t think that that would be the last time I would see
her, but at the same time happy to know that our last memory together was me reading
her this letter. I got to do with Auntie, what she enjoyed the most
and what we did the best; I got to sit at her bedside and talk with her, for
one final time…
…Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and
their works do follow them.
Revelation 14:13
Rest Auntie, We shall speak again very soon x
♥ Miss Daisy ♥
