Blessed in the Midst of Stage 4 Cancer

Five months ago, almost to the minute, I had just said my final goodbye to Geoff. Though speaking was difficult, during the night, his last words to me had been "I love you" whilst indicating that he wanted to go - he was ready to leave behind the failing shell of his earthly habitation and enter the glorious presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Geoff's last hours were filled with the love of his family, reading scriptures that painted a picture of his life to come, songs, prayers and sharing precious memories. How vivid, yet how distant...the inescapable reality, the searing pain, the exceeding joy for him, the deep cry of all our souls for consolation and the prompting to reach out and give comfort to one another. Yesterday, reading in the first book Geoff gave me, a section focussed on the glorious possibility that every Christian can experience overwhelming blessedness that flows into our lives through " the knowledge-surpassing love, this love of C...

My family and I invite you to join us celebrating my husband's life. You are also welcome to leave Tributes, Memories and Condolences either in the comments on this blog post or privately via email to rememberinggeofffindlay@gmail.com or via #memoriesofgeoff (Instagram or Facebook) Livestream attendance : Please register here  http://bit.ly/funeralGeoff  to ensure you receive the link to the livestream and Order of Service via email. For those wishing to bring flowers , in keeping with Geoff & Lesli's preference, we kindly request instead you make a Donation in Memoriam to either: WPC Churches in Chin State, Myanmar - Acc name: WPC National Assembly BSB: 036-043 Acc no: 963282 Reference: "Chin WPC" ALK Positive Lung Cancer Research Fund - http://bit.ly/ALKfund Include additional information: "Prof Ben Solomon, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia"

Surrounded by his loving families - wife, children, parents, sister and grandchildren, our beloved husband, father and grandfather, son and bother, breathed his last and entered into glory through the tender mercies of our heavenly Father in His perfect timing on this second day of April 2021. We are overwhelmed with God's goodness in His providences that enabled us to come home in time for a truly heavenly time of farewells. The time was more precious than I could have imagined. I feel unspeakable blessed. After 40 years of serving the Lord with all his heart, we have the peace and confidence that He is in the glorious presence of His Saviour. Ushered in to the eternal kingdom by his and our Redeemer "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." The photo was taken only a week ago - the end has come mecifully swiftly. Praise the Name of the Lord!

Reflecting on the weeks since my last blog post, God has blessed us with innumerable wonderful moments together. How unlikely such times had seemed, how precious are the memories, how deeply we hope and pray for longer, how profoundly God is reminding us of His unfathomable love in each breath every day and every night.  Encouraged by Geoff's ongoing improved health, we dived into activities and adventures, balancing our time between family and friends, recreation, writing projects and organising tasks. But while Geoff has been on fast forward hiking up hills, speeding down off-road mountain bike trails, kayaking amongst dolphins, digging into his theological book and sorting office files, the cancer has been on fast forward also, silently developing resistance mechanisms to the targeted drug therapy, accelerating tumor growth in the abdominal darkness. Progression is usually a positive word. Not so in the world of cancer. Progression signals that the cancer is worsening, that the ...

He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength... Those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40 verses 29 & 31 Heartened by Geoff's health: two months since his awful liver capsule pain, two months with no cancer-related crisis, two months on the new targeted drug therapy, two months between CT scans and two months of improving physical and mental ability, we entered the cancer centre full of optimism. Sometimes everything simply 'seems to go just right'! Barely had we chosen a chair in the empty waiting room, when the nurse called Geoff in for his obs and efficiently pronounced them all perfect! At which moment the oncologist peered around the corner looking for his patient, so we gladly by-passed the usual long second stint in the socially-distanced, interaction-minimised holding zone. Settled in the con...