Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
After a two-year hiatus, I am back. Today is a very special day that is extremely dear to me. This is the two-year anniversary date of my precious Eulanda’s passing from this world, to where she is now resting and praising God in the loving arms of Jesus. It is fitting and most definitely appropriate that I am motivated to pick up my laptop and start my blog from where I left off. I thank my God for all the love, mercy, and grace He has given me.
So much has happened within these short two years. I need to calendar the events to gain perspective:
March 3, 2020 – Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu, HI, sent us home because there was nothing medically or surgically they could do to help my Eulanda in her fight against cancer. The prognosis was bad; giving us only a week or two for Eulanda to live. But our trust and hope are in our sovereign God who has all things in control. Eulanda’s daughter and son-in-law were staying with us. The hospice firm brought us a hospital bed, which we placed in the front living area where Eulanda can see everything and get access to hospice care when the nurse and assistant arrive. I slept on the sofa right next to her bed. God saw fit for Eulanda to stay with us for a month and a half – All glory and praise to our God.
March 5, 2020 – The COVID-19 Pandemic hit the world. We praise God for his watchful care over us. Instead of going to a nursing home, Eulanda wanted to come home so she can live her final days in the peace and joy of her home, which she loved so much. Had Eulanda chosen to go to a nursing home, I would not be able to see her and take care of her; the state of Hawaii shut down all access for people to move about except in their own homes. Praise God we were all together at home, praising and worshiping God, and enjoying Eulanda’s last days with us.
April 15, 2020 – Eulanda died while I was holding her hand and comforting her at 3:42 pm that day. The moment she drew her last breath, she entered the heavenly city and was worshiping Jesus Christ in His presence, which is what she will continue to do for all eternity. May Jesus Christ be praised.
April 23, 2020 – Eulanda’s earthly vessel, her jar of clay, was placed in Mililani Memorial Garden as her body’s final resting place – waiting for the second coming of Christ. I go visit her gravesite every week to take care of the headstone and place fresh tropical flowers, which Eulanda loved so much.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
September 2020 – Our home was remodeled (new kitchen, bathrooms, and master bedroom suite). All plans were followed exactly how Eulanda wanted them.
October 2020 – I participated in a GriefShare program that I found at church that was on our island of Oahu. But, because of COVID, the meetings were held via Zoom. Thank you, Lord. I miss and love my Eulanda so very much…
Thanksgiving 2020 – Our home church was also closed because of COVID, but worship and messages were online via Zoom also.
December 18, 2020 – Eulanda’s Birthday celebration with Eulanda’s College Friends Forever at our house. It was a potluck celebration and her college friends told me stories of Eulanda that they treasure from their college days.
December 2020 – Our home church had Saturday worship services for the Kapuna (55-60 years+) during the taping of the message that was viewed on Sundays.
March 2021 – Our home church began to open up for those who would come. The church offered a big screen TV for viewing the worship service on the church’s lanai. Which is where I still choose to sit.
October 2021 – I joined our church’s Missions Team and the first objective was to host the church’s Missions Conference 2022 on March 18-20, 2022.
December 2021 – I was chosen by the elders of our church to facilitate the GriefShare program for the widows of our church. This is a ministry and service that I cherish.
March 2022 – I hosted our church’s missionaries to Fiji, Premend, and Ashwin Choy for the Missions Conference 2022 week. This was a blessing that I will also cherish. I know that Eulanda would have wanted this to happen.
April 2022 – I host the second round of GriefShare for our widows at our church.
April 15, 2022 – Today is Eulanda’s two-year anniversary being in the presence of Jesus. I am so blessed to have Eulanda as a wife. She was the most beautiful, caring, and thoughtful person I have ever met. We were always on the same page in our love for each other, as well as our love for our God and for his church, the body of Christ. Our joy in life was being able to worship our God in our church and to fellowship and minister to his people at church. We loved being able to work together as public school teachers on the Westside of Oahu. Must most of all, we enjoyed the privacy and seclusion of our small country farm home on 2.5 acres of agricultural land. We were always so blessed to go outside and see the Waianae mountain range right in our backyard. “Oh! thank you, Lord! “Eulanda would say every day. It was our joy to work in the garden, orchard, and with our chickens, ducks, and rabbits; and now, our male pigmy goat named Abednego! God be praised for giving us such a great life with so many blessings and benefits.
Psalm 103
Of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;[a]
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Sam, it’s helpful to have this summary of events. You wrote so well. Glad you’re back blogging. 😉
Andrea
Thank you, I appreciate your feedback. What do you think about the format of my writing to my children? Do you think this is something that others would like to read and be encouraged? or do you think it causes others to be uncomfortable considering it to be a private message?
Thank you again
Sam