Scrolling through my Facebook, I stopped in dismay. My father’s faithful friend, Joan, passed away after recovering from cancer surgery. She picked up my father for church. I immediately texted my brother who responded with minimal surprise. “It’s a risky surgery. At one point, that procedure had a 25% fatality rate.” Regardless of the statistics, I felt a deep sadness and scrolled through my emails to locate her recent messages.
Hi Marcel and Michelle, shared with my John that your dad called him the other day. I don’t believe he knew the Sterks were going to pick him up for me. It tickles me how often he is still able to advocate for himself. Your dad said he enjoyed the women visitors but it would be nice if men came to visit too!!!
I don’t know if I told you that John and Julia Sterk will be picking your Dad up on the 2nd Sundays of Oct. and Nov. Your dad will be really happy about this! The one caveat is it will depend on if they can get his chair into their vehicle. We were going to try it last week but he wasn’t in church. I am writing out instructions for them (nearly finished). My surgery will be this Wednesday. Tonja will be staying with us for 2 weeks, arriving today. Look up the Whipple Procedure if you are interested. It is amazing what “parts” we can live without and the number of “spare parts” there are in our bodies! Joan
I always marveled at her dedication to my father. She picked him up for church despite the obvious inconvenience of distance, his sleepiness, the challenge of getting the wheelchair in her vehicle, and other things I don’t even know about!
Her beautiful obituary summed up her dedication.
Joan was one of God’s angels. She had a huge heart for the less fortunate. She generously gave her time and money when she saw a need. She retired from Hope Network in 2008 and was active in her church and community. She spearheaded an Adult Respite Community Care center, a year-round book club, a maII walking group, and a Heritage Writers club, where people write their life stories. Joan volunteered at many places, including the bread run for Streams, New Life Thrift Store, and VIS. She also enjoyed crafting, painting, photography, and traveling. However, her favorite pastime was attending the sports and activities of her grandchildren.
I spent part of the day, struggling with her passing. She was 81, I rationalized, and lived a long time. She used her time after retirement to help others in many ways. But why did God take her home when she could live longer and help more?
My answer to my own question is this: Her example and legacy reminds me of helping those less fortunate. In the words of John Bunyan, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” I hope I can follow her example.
A Journey Worth Remembering 