FINDING HOPE AT THE EDGE OF LIFE

On our way back to Singapore, I changed my flight to travel with my wife. I was supposed to fly a day later—my mistake. But I had bought cancellation insurance, so Trip.com allowed me to change the ticket for free. I even received a refund of sixteen dollars and fifty cents. Wednesday is not a popular day for travel, so the airport was quieter than usual.

Yet our hearts were heavy.

My mother-in-law is still waiting to see the Lord. We do not know when that moment will come, so we entrusted her to a professional caregiver. It was not an easy decision, but it was a necessary one. We had to return to our responsibilities, knowing that one day we would fly back again—this time, for a final farewell.

It is a strange kind of grief when you say goodbye knowing it may be the last time.

The night before, my brother-in-law gently told us that we should go back. We didn’t know how long this season would linger. Life does not pause, even when our hearts wish it would. And so we packed our bags, carrying both responsibility and sorrow.

This morning, I stood beside her bed. I recited Psalm 23 softly. When I said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I saw her lips said, “Amen.”

I sang “Peace Be with You” close to her ear. And I saw her lips moving silently again, “Peace be with you, peace be with you.” As I prayed for her through that song, I realised something, she was praying for me too!

I said, “You always pray for us whenever we say goodbye. I know you are praying for me now.”

Then I told her about this coming Sunday—our baptism Sunday. Seven children will receive infant baptism. Some adults will be baptised and transferred. She listened. I know she will pray for them. She has always prayed for the church. She has always prayed for me.

She has been my prayer warrior.

She would understand that I need to go back and serve. She always does. And that was when the tears came, uncontrolled, unfiltered.

When we returned home to pack, the house felt strange. Her presence was still everywhere—her slippers, her seat, her familiar rhythms. Yet she was not there.

I told my wife that we should rest for a while. I suggested we go out for lunch, our last lunch in Taiwan. But I could see her exhaustion, so we decided to eat at home. She said she wanted to pack lunch for me.

And she returned with all of her mother’s favourite foods: beef fried rice with green peppers(青椒牛肉炒饭), Beef Stuffed pastry (牛肉馅饼), beef wrap (牛肉卷饼), millet porridge (小米粥), and her favourite sides: braised eggplant (焖茄子), ginger chicken (葱姜鸡), pobuzi dragon beard vegetable ( 破步子龙须菜).

As we ate, we stored her in our memories again.

We finished everything.

Then we laughed a little and said, “One day, we should take a trip just to eat all her favourite foods again.”

And suddenly, I realised—what a blessing it is to have so many good things to remember. These memories will help us move forward.

Not forget, but move forward.

This journey with my mother-in-law has taught me something about discipleship and building His missional community.

To follow Jesus is not just about grand moments. It is about staying faithful in ordinary heartbreaks. It is about trusting God when you do not get closure. It is about saying goodbye with hope, even with many uncertainties.

To show hospitality is not only about opening our homes. It is about opening our hearts—making room for tears, for weakness, for shared silence, for shared meals that carry memory and meaning.

To reach out is not always about going far. Sometimes it is about leaning in. Sitting beside a hospital bed. Singing softly. Listening. Letting someone pray for you even when they are the one who is dying.

My mother-in-law has taught me all these even she could not say a single word now.

She prayed.

She loved.

She stayed faithful.

And even now, she continues to teach me how to live.

That day, we will say our final goodbye. But today, we live with gratitude. We remember. We follow Jesus. We open our lives to one another. And we move forward, not because it is easy, but because His love makes it possible.

What a blessing it is to have someone whose memory does not trap us in sorrow, but gently carries us into hope.

Building His Missional Community,

Pastor Forest

PS: My mother-in-law was called home to the Lord on 25 Jan. This was written on 22 Jan, while I was journeying back to Singapore.