Remembrance for Theril - Posted 2-21-22

 

Remembrance for Theril…

I believe that Theril would be very pleased to see us all here today….And we are thankful to be here…

Lord, we thank you for enabling us to gather here today so that we can celebrate a life well-lived. As we start this service, we ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit upon this gathering. May he bring comfort to every one of us so that we can be able to mourn as believers.

Lord, we come together in joy and in sorrow. We mourn our loss, yet we rejoice that our loved one will not experience pain or sickness or sorrow ever again. We thank you for our loved one’s transition to a new and better life. We ask for your comfort to descend over our loved one’s family. May your love shine on them and may they know the mercy and grace that only you can give. Bless them with a sense of your goodness and give them peace. Amen.

It was just 2 weeks ago when Theril was complaining of pain in his chest.. He said at that time that he couldn’t locate his cardiologist… Stress seemed to be overwhelming him.. the storm that wrecked his home and left his condo without water or power or internet services.. The concerns for his wife and the children in Leyte also took precedence in his mind over his own struggles.. Mercy House was becoming still. Most everything had to be on hold..Many of his special projects came to a standstill… Residents of Mercy House were relegated to the residence, quarantined because of the COVID outbreak.. Many were sick.. I don’t know how many… and the pressures of getting vaccinated for him all took their toll…He told me a few days after his chest pain that he was ok now.. That proved to be a warning sign of things to come.. But Theril , even not feeling well, tried to take the optimistic path.. Knowing that he was fulfilling God’s purpose for him it was his strength until God said ok my good fellow. Its time for a well deserved rest…

I will remember Theril as a devout Christian as well as friend. Although we did not always agree we maintained a respect for each other in spite of our differences. This is the hallmark of a true friendship and is at the core of Brotherhood…

Theril was a man who always asked himself profound questions….

Why am I here? Does my life have meaning? Do the things I do really matter? God, our loving Heavenly Father, wants us to find happiness and joy. He created a plan for us to grow, live by faith, and return to live with Him someday. His plan gives meaning and context to our life here on earth and answers the big questions: “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” “am I on the right track”,and “What happens after I die?”

Theril was a man of prayer and took these questions to the Father. He was an example ,in that regard, for all of us. He lived according to what he understood God’s plan was for him…

I will miss him but I know he is in a better place; a place that our heavenly Father has reserved just for him.. I wish him well on his new journey forward….. I pray that he is resting gently in our Lord’s hands..

I just want to conclude with thoughts from,

Psalm 9:9

Holy Father , Your word says that You are a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Lord, I call upon You to be our stronghold in this time of grief for us and for the family of Theril!

We feel oppressed by the pain and the sorrow that we feel, but in You, I know that we can find peace for Your word tells me so. Father, please have Your divine way within my mind and in the mind of all who are morning the loss of this Brother today, so that we can find comfort in this difficult time,

Amen

Gilman Jones..