Koh Gay's mom went home to the Lord - 29 Apr 2024
Rev Lim Jen Huat, Liza's husband greeted me ever so warmly and it was also good to see TJ their son, who has grown so tall like his uncle. It was great to catch up with Liza too who appeared at peace. Aunty has been bed-riden for 12 years and is finally free and at home with our Heavenly Father where she belongs. It was also good to meet Hanis, their faithful care-giver who served Aunty dutifully for 16 years. We recommended her to the family after she finished looking after my late Aunt Catherine and I thanked her for her dedication.
Funerals are also a place to meet people and I'm grateful that my best friend Simon came to lend support. We were classmates at ACS with Koh Gay nearly 45 years ago and truly, good friends are sometimes better than a brother. Also had a chance to meet Uncle Daniel, Liza's Uncle who lives in Perth. We learned that he and his wife are involved in helping street and homeless people in Perth and it was inspiring to see their love in action. Uncle Daniel too was instrumental in setting up COSI Orphanage in Cambodia and of course, we had much to share in common.
We are grateful for Aunty's long life of 95 years where it has been hard for her as a single parent but God has been ever so gracious to her family. May she rest in peace and be re-united with her precious son Koh Gay in the presence of God.
This is the Homily I shared based on Jn 14:1-4.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
All praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for his love, care and grace to us all.
HOMILY FOR KOH GAY’S MOM
To Liza, Jen Huat & TJ, Celia, Jeremy, Cally and I express our deepest condolences as we gather to say farewell to your beloved mom in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To lose a loved one is always devastating and even more so when one loses their dearest mother and grandmother. After all, she is the one who gave birth to us, the one who nurtured us as babies, the one who brought us to school and perhaps even tutored us. Even as adults, our moms are always there for us, celebrating each stage of our life until they themselves age and then, it becomes our turn to look after them until they return to our Heavenly Father.
That, both Liza and her brother KG have done extremely well and model for us what it truly means to honour our father and mother.
My first impression of Aunty was when I called her late son Koh Gay when we were in ACS in the 70s. At those times, we only had land lines and she would rush to inform him – “Kok Kee, Tian Wei” and she would repeat it countless times until KG gets the phone, rather annoyed. Whenever I visited KG, she would welcome me warmly and the love she had for her 2 children was very evident. As a teacher, she believed in education and sacrificed a lot for both of her children to study in Hawaii and later on, for KG in Oregon where he was my room mate and we had great times together.
Her late son KG paid Aunty the highest tribute when he shared his testimony at Church of our Saviour few years back and I quote: My mother, a single parent, never abandoned me – my bedrock in the midst of the raging storms. Truly, parental love is rock solid!
I lived in only one house here in Spore near Beauty World for 57 years but KG family would always seem to be moving. When I knew KG, he lived nearby at Lor Pisang Udang at Hoover Park. Then Greenwood Ave, Toh Tuck, Simei, then back to Jurong Kechil and I always wondered why they kept moving. I believe Aunty was quite astute & wise with her finances and real estate choices.
Today’s passage hence in Jn 14:1-4 is very appropriate for Aunty because she is finally home in a house that is permanent. No need to move anymore. This is the final home for all of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and tonight we take comfort in the fact that Aunty is safe and secure in her Father’s house.
I like to share 3 brief points that I pray will encourage and comfort us.
1. Jesus calls us to trust Him. Tonight our hearts are troubled and grieved but our Lord assures us that our belief, our trust in Him is not in vain. He is always here in our darkest moments and deepest pain, understanding our sorrow. He offers us his comfort and unwavering love. And most importantly, he offers us hope. Indeed Jesus words in v1 – Do not let your hearts be troubled is an invitation to put our grieving hearts in his good and sure hands. We can do that becoz
2. Jesus has prepared a place for us in The Father’s House in v2. This is undoubtedly the best house that we can ever imagine not because it has many rooms but because it is the home where we belong to & where we can spend eternity with precious our Heavenly Father who made us and yearn for us. We take comfort that while Aunty has left us, she has truly arrived to her forever home safely where we who put our faith in Christ will all be one day.
3. Jesus is always with us in our journey. In v3,4, our Lord assures that he walks with us through every situation of our life – “he takes us to be with him”, here on earth & when we finally leave for The Father’s House. We have assurance that Jesus was always with Aunty, each day of her life, even through her very long illness. If I may, I like to thank Aunty’s carer, Hani for caring dutifully each day for her. Just as Aunty trusted Jesus through her life, we too can cling on to the promise that Jesus is indeed The Way, The Truth and The Life.
Because of the hope and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can be confident that we all have eternal life in Christ. To Liza, Jen Huat and TJ, be comforted with the blessed hope that you will see your dearest Mom and Grandmother again one day in the presence of our God in the Father’s House.
Koh Gay must also be so happy and delighted to hear his dearest mom say – "Kok Kee, wa ting lai liow!" Im home.
Let us pray – Our Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessed assurance that we belong to you and just as you have called Aunty home, I pray that the comfort, love and peace of Christ be with Liza, Jen and TJ and as well as extended family and friends. Continue to help us live our days on earth well through your Holy Spirit so that we can serve you with humility, gratitude and love. IJN - Amen
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