Week 52

Week 52 ended just one day short of Doris' first anniversary of loss. On Monday the emotions surged momentarily in the morning thinking of the coming week. I had lunch with Doris' St. Paul Co-ed classmates but not before I dropped off our latest book to Dr Tsang, one of the doctors Doris formerly consulted a few times. A person in the lunch group later said Doris belonged to the “hardworking” student category. Doris loved having lunch with her classmates.

Day 2 I had a session preparing a coworker for the person's next sermon date. It was quick and easy because the coworker learned how to follow the text's grammar. It took us less than half an hour. It took us less than half an hour. It ended when Doris' friend came by to pick up more books, including the last of the 400 copies I ordered also checked a coworkers sermon for Sunday. He did very well. At night I cooked spaghetti for a friend and his two kids while his wife was on a mission trip.

Wednesday was deacon's night meeting, so I had the morning off to work on a book. Since March my mind has been back to normal, just at the right time to plow full steam ahead for a new book.

Day 4 I decided at last to send last week's blog entry to our family chat group, which I do not normally do, just like Doris. Doris sister said, "I miss Doris so much, it is hard to pass this  year." Later our department had a birthday lunch before the meeting.

On Friday I finally finished and sent my local tax. This year I have to mark the “widowed” box. How sad. I finished the second last NT text on Mark 15 preparing our Lent series. It was an enriching, fulfilling and satisfying study:
The Centurion and the Christ (Mark 15:37-39)
1. Hear the shout v 37
2. Heed the signs v 38
3. Hasten the surrender v 39

Day 6 I finished the last NT sermon on The Last Seven Words of Jesus for our Lent series. It took every ounce in me to complete it before the anniversary. I had lunch with three guys before our pre-prestudy group and then led the pre-study group. At night I excitedly looked at a video a friend transferred from another format to video for me. It was a vintage five year old video of Doris  teaching the Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, exactly what we studied in the afternoon! It was a blessed gift! At night I confirmed with Doris' sister that a moving van will help her and her husband move Doris' electric piano to her place when she visits on coming Monday anniversary morning. She wanted it for a long time and she just got her house renovated. It hit me emotionally that I would lose the piano but it was for a relative who loved Doris dearly.

On Sunday I gave thirty of Doris' blog books away. The song 我的心 你要稱頌耶和華 touched me deeply and I could not stop crying as it was a Doris favorite. Two younger coworkers took turns comforting me. After worship a friend cut  all my hair off to represent my loss, lament and longing. Two families came to the island to share the rest of the day with me, walking to the park and old village, having German dinner, praying at my  apartment and eating durian for dessert. I had no time to grief! Thanks friends! One even cut his hair shorter in support and one bald!

Please pray for me as I travel with pth friends to Shanghai to chase memories my last ever trip with Doris two years ago one day apart, to Shanghai. 

May 22, 2017