We have received terrible news in the past week, the passing of two sisters in our prayer groups in the Philippines and here in New Zealand. I was surprised with how devastating it felt. I honestly am not too close with both of them but I knew them enough.
I knew of Giki’s passing through a common friend. I really thought, or maybe I kind of hoped, that it was only a joke. She died of childbirth complications. Fortunately, their baby is alive and well. She’s almost my age and her husband’s a good friend of mine. I knew how long he waited for her and how happy he was when they finally got married.
I wasn’t too affected at first but it hit me the second day I’ve received the news. I was crying my heart out the whole day. The people at work might have found it odd that my eyes are red and swollen the whole day but I didn’t really have the courage to tell them about it. Even if I felt like telling them what happened, nothing would make a difference because I was miles away from home. I couldn’t be there for my friend.
The next news was of Rose’s passing. We knew her for just a year. I think the first conversation I had with her was before one of our meetings and no one was in the venue yet so she invited me to wait with her in her car. She shared how it was for her when she migrated to New Zealand.
I remember this was the time I was really anxious if I’d ever have a decent job here. We both were HR professionals back in the Philippines so we had something that we can talk about. She shifted to a career in finance here, I think. She talked about how she herself experienced how difficult it was to find a job here. Our conversation for the most part was uneventful but she made an impact to me that day. She assured me that all will be well and that I had to trust that God will provide for me and my family. She didn’t know how thankful I was of that assurance. I needed that badly at that time.
I tend to be pretty dense during these situations. I try to avoid my emotions and deny them most of the time but the Lord confronted me through them. I see death as something beautiful and freeing. I have learned this when my dad passed away. I had to hope that it is indeed beautiful, that death does not simply end in death alone, but it is a meaningful reunion with our Maker and that someday, we’ll join them.
Like I said, the second day after the news of their passing was different for me. For some reason, I could not fight back the tears that day. My drive going home is an hour so I have a lot of “silent moments” that I tend to think about things. While I was driving home that day, I heard this song entitled The Other Side. Here is an excerpt of the lyrics that really stuck with me:
I bet you feel you’re finally home
Running down those streets of gold
The kind of peace you can’t explain
Looking into Jesus’ face
I know that you’re in a better place
I know I’ll be joining you someday
It isn’t easy to say goodbye
But I know it’s only for a little while
Run up ahead and I will catch up
‘Cause I’m gonna see you when tomorrow comes
On the other side
Where there are no more goodbyes
No more pain, no more tears left to cry
We will join with the angels singing their song
Praising our savior, all the day long
It isn’t easy to say goodbye
But I know it’s only for a little while
Run up ahead and I will catch up
‘Cause I’m gonna see you when tomorrow comes
On the other side
There are times when the Lord speaks to me through songs and I felt like He was dealing with me through this song. It didn’t deny the pain of death but it sheds a ray of hope that someday, we will meet again. This time, there’ll be no goodbyes. It gives hope that yes, those who have gone ahead of us are free. They are joyfully looking into Jesus’ face. In the meantime, I can continue my journey here so that someday, we may all meet again…
So to you, sisters, Giki and Rose, bask in God’s embrace. You had been His faithful servants. We will all be looking forward to seeing you someday, until we meet again.
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