Understanding

The circumference of our faith must always be greater than that of our understanding and I think it will be for all eternity.

Pr 20:24 NIV
A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?

We will never know enough that we will lose the joy of exploring and learning.
We will never know enough that we will gain control.

Ecc 6:10 NLT
Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.

Ac 17:26 NIV
From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

God is Sovereign wise and good and this is our faith…
Ro 8:28 NIV
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

In Hope

I went down to the river to pray Saturday, specifically to ask the question my heart had been repeating over and over. I told God that I was not angry, but I could not stop my heart from asking, “Why?” And so I asked. And asked. I was so loud that the geese were startled from their resting places. Up stream and down, the birds swam to the middle of the river looking around nervously with questions of their own. Two words came to mind: “In hope”.

Romans 8:20-21 The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it * in hope* that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

The frustration of all the plans Theresa and I had made…
Psalm 33:10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
Proverb 19:21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

…plans to raise children, to do short term missions, to do rretirement-ministry in an orphanage somewhere, to put hardwood in the living room…

All the plans of all who dwell on earth are frustrated in hope. Our God hopes. God who is sovereign, good and wise, hopes for something: Glorious freedom for all.

Consider what you and the geese and the trees have in common. Know that God uses death and decay to point you beyond it, to a place, a person you cannot escape, even through death. You will meet the one who planned all of this. Is this your real hope? Are you ready? He hopes you will be.

Pictures for Tee

I hope that many of you will be able to bring your children to the funeral tomorrow. And I know that some of the kids have been drawing and painting pictures or perhaps even writing notes. There will be a photograph of Theresa at the front of the church on the communion table and if any of the children want to remember her with something they have drawn or painted or written, there will be room to leave it there.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
I am looking forward to coming home to my church family.
See you soon.
A.

Pictures for Tee

Interment and Memorial

FLATT, Theresa (nee McDonald) 1964-2010

Theresa Mary Flatt went home to be with her beloved Saviour Jesus Christ on October 21ST, 2010 in Brantford, ON after a year long battle with Ovarian Cancer at the age of 46. She will be sadly missed by husband Andy and children Josiah, Katy, and Alex, as well as her father Craig McDonald of Burlington/Thunder Bay, ON; sisters Jean (Richard) Pendziwol of Thunder Bay, ON; Barbara Mitchell of Redcliff, AB and a much loved family of brothers- and sisters-in-law as well as many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Theresa was predeceased by her loving mother Sue McDonald, father-in-law Rupert Flatt, and grandparents Irvin and Evelyn Obergh, and Hugh and Erna McDonald.

Theresa grew up in Thunder Bay attending St Vincent’s, St Patrick’s and Sir Winston Churchill Schools, graduating in 1984. She loved to spend summers sailing on Lake Superior and spent 14 months cruising to the Bahamas and back with her family on their boat in 1981/82. She also loved to play piano and earned her A. Mus. Paed. from the University of Western Ontario. She and Andy married in 1986 and have served the lord together for over 20 years, most significantly at Westfort Baptist Church in Thunder Bay, and the past 11 years at Brant Community Church in Brantford. Theresa enjoyed leading worship and playing the keys as part of the praise team. She was also an active participant in women’s ministries and retreats.

Theresa’s family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Community Care Access Centre, Aberdeen, and the Stedman Hospice for their exceptional compassion and care during Theresa’s last few weeks. In Theresa’s memory, the family has requested no flowers, but donations to the Brant Community Church building fund or Ovarian Cancer Canada would be gratefully appreciated.

Interment will be at Oakhill Cemetery in Brantford on Monday October 25th at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed by a memorial service at Brant Community Church at 69 Superior St. at 3:30 p.m.

Farewell Theresa

Isaiah 57: 1 Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. 2 For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.

Oct 21, 2010 9:50 p.m. Theresa died tonight. She was aware and peaceful right up to the end. We got to spend her last few moments together as she passed from this life into the next.
God was merciful and took her home.
She is safe now.
Thank-you Father.

A Note From Tee

After reading your notes of encouragement to Theresa today, she composed this note as I typed…

To my family my friends and especially my BCC family:
I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 11 years at BCC, though this past year has been one of the most difficult in my life. Your overwhelming love and prayer support I’m sure has been what’s carried me through. Watching the body of Christ serve one another has really brought His reality into my life. Any time I may have doubted His love I could see it acted out in front of me. I pray that you would continue to minister to one another as you have to me.
With all my love and gratitude,
Theresa

Days

Thanks to everyone for your blog responses and your emails. I read them every day when I come home for dinner. We are told that Theresa's time is now measured in days, but each one affords some precious moments for which we are grateful.

The Stedman Hospice

This morning Theresa was taken to the Stedman. She traveled by aambulance as she is no longer able to stand. She is reasonably comfortable and pain-free and coherent, just simply drained of physical strength and energy. She is sleeping much of the time so we have limited her visitors to immediate family.

We listened to Reg’s sermon on worship together on Monday night and prayed together afterwards giving back to God the life that God so graciously gave to her which she has shared with me. We are grateful. She is ready. And I am broken.

Theresa's Mom

Theresa’s mom died last night. After enduring pancreatic ccancer for months, her pain has finally ended. We grieve for the loss of Sue, but not like those who have no hope. Her faith is now sight.

Job 19:27
I myself will see him with my own eyes.
I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

He Loved Them to the End

John 13:1 ESV …having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
Matthew 12:20 ESV A bruised reed he will not break…

Theresa continues to grow weaker and stairs have become impossible, so we are having a hospital bed delivered today for the main floor. Tee remains relatively pain-free and lucid which means we are able to read together and pray and talk about the coming days.

We are sharing ideas about heaven from Randy Alcorn’s book which is a great encouragement and a good meditation for any believer.

Thanks for your continued prayer support and love.
A.

How Does God Define Good?

Romans 8:28 We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

When considering what we experience in this life and looking for the "good" that it leads to, we sometimes wonder about God’s definition of “good”. Is God’s understanding of what is “good” so radically different from mine that I won’t recognize “good” until I get to heaven and look back from His perspective?

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus assures us that our definitions are just like God’s. Enjoying Luxury is called “good”. Suffering lack is defined as “bad”. It is simply that Lazarus did not get to enjoy “good” until he experienced the “good” of heaven.

Luke 16:25 Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

What Romans 8:28 assures us is that all the bad things believers suffer, somehow work for our good. In the case of Lazarus, the bad things caused him to long for and look for a “better country” (Heb 11:6) a better world to come, while the one who indulged in luxury in this life, was blinded to his need for anything else.

Mark 4:19 says, “The deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”

The “word” says that bad you receive can cause you to hope for heaven and that that hope can become a greater and greater certainty. And that is good.

Romans 5:3-5 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.

That will be good.

*Saint’s note*
Just small questions of reflection, without suffering, are we really human? Without suffering, can we develop integrity or a solid moralistic understanding of what’s right and wrong? I think that God allowed sin/wrongdoing/suffering in the world not only to punish Adam and Eve for their sins, but so that we might be wronged (i.e. stolen from, lied to, hurt emotionally etc.) to realize how immoral those acts are, and not let those sins into our lives. And because of that, we know pain, and will not (most of the time) pass that suffering onto other people, simply because we know what its like.
Ps. a little introduction is in order; I'm planning on doing a small side note not unlike this one in addition to the actual blog, written by Andy. Sometimes it might be a question to ponder, other times it might be…something else I haven’t decided on. God bless

Looking Toward Home

Theresa and I received the news yesterday that her time has come.
Her liver is failing now which means there are no more treatment options.
She has days or weeks, possibly as much as a month, but we are saying our goodbyes.

We went out with the kids to Apps’ Mill this morning and enjoyed the creek and the colours. It was a good walk. What God has given us together has been wonderful and it was good to pause and savor it in the sunshine.

Thank-you for your continued prayers. They mean a great deal to us.
Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.