Tragedy
One tragedy was about a groom who fell to his death due to a freak accident after his wedding banquet. The bride was inside the hotel room, presumably bathing when the groom went out to the stairways to take a smoke. Unable to get in through the same door as it was a 1-way door, he went up and down the stairs, trying to find a way out... and due to a series of events, ended up on a rooftop, and fell to his death.
I can't imagine the amount of pain and guilt the bride would have. For Charlene, even when the doctors told us that its likely not our fault, we still blame ourselves sometimes for her condition and her passing away. The bride must have wondered whether she could have prevented the terrible accident.
The bride jumped to her death 8 months later. Previous reports have noted that she would go to the temple to pray in front of the groom niche every day for a few months.
Despair
Another recent tragedy was the case of a single mother pushing her son down to his death. I gathered from various sources that 1) the mum is unemployed and taking care of the son full-time, 2) the family sole-breadwinner is the grandmother with a family income of around $1000 3) the son has liver problems and is studying in a special school 4) though the son is aged 9, his cognitive age is about 4.
A nearby shopkeeper said that the mum would always buy sweets and ice-cream for the son to eat; he never expected such things to happen.
I was under the impression that the mum was crying "I killed him" when the police arrested her. To me, that indicated that it was not pre-mediated but likely an act of impulse.
Though the mum committed a terrible act, I would not point a finger, blame her and add on to her burden.
I don't know what the mum is thinking about now... I also don't know how the grandmother can cope with the death of her grandson and the arrest of her own daughter.
Though it pains my heart to see their family suffering... i not sure what i can do. One thing i learnt through Charlene's life is that it can be difficult for a grieving person to accept a help from random stranger...
Hope
I don't profess to know whether anything can be done to help those families. I will be a fool to say that I know the remedy to their troubles.
Each family troubles are unique. Charlene mummy and I have met so many families with special-needs kids of varying severity. While some kids condition may be better than others, it does not mean that the family have it easier than others. No, misery and pain cannot be quantified.
What I can share is the cornerstone of my strength... the strength that lifts me through difficult times, shelter me through the storms and give me hope in the darkest of night.
Jesus Christ is that cornerstone.
Believing in Jesus Christ means I believe that He loves me and He has a purpose for me. Having been a non-Christian, I know it can be incredulous to those who has not/ do not believe in Christ. But my personal experience tells me that when I put my troubles on to Him, my burden is lifted. Also, my faith in a higher purpose helps me to grind my teeth and stick through tough times, bec I know that the suffering can be put into use for a higher purpose.
Sometimes I think that if I'm an atheist going through difficult, persistent suffering, I may have just ended it all. If the meaning of life is to enjoy myself, then a life full of suffering is not worth living...
Our church also helps to support us through difficult times. The unwavering support and the weekly church service and cell groups makes it easier for me to ask them for help. Especially because they see Charlene on a weekly basis, so Charlene was very much comfortable with them.
Don't get me wrong. While I hope that many people come to know Jesus Christ, I will not "stuff" the Bible down the throat of someone's who is suffering, expecting him/ her to be miraculously saved just because he/she said the sinner's prayer. I do not think that God is our genie who grants us wishes; He has his plans and his purpose and that may be different from our own earthly expectations. When I entrusted my life to the Lord, I specifically told Him that I am not turning to Him for the healing of Charlene.
Again I re-emphasise, I am sharing the story about the source of my strength. If someone seek God's only for earthly gains or relief, he may be mistaken. But God definitely promise us something, something which I have experienced.
"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." - Romans 15:4.
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May God bless the families who are suffering and heavy-laden with relief and hope. Lord, may you send people to help them, to console them, to give them respite and to give them hope to continue living. Amen.
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