It’s easy to gloss over a Bible passage or topic written in a daily devotional book as merely being incidental to life with little or no bearing on us personally. But what happens when an inspirational message intended to be read on a particular day actually deals with a topic that is pertinent to us that day? Do we chuckle at the coincidence, or do we see it as divine timing? A friend of ours whose wife recently passed away found comfort in recognizing God’s hand in a daily devotional reading on the day his lifelong sweetheart died.
Galuma and Wawato had been living in Kewa village for many years and had many children and grandchildren. Galuma, a retired police officer, had become a Seventh-day Adventist when he was stationed near an Adventist college in another part of Papua New Guinea. His wife Wawato, an elementary school teacher, also joined the church at that time.
Long after her retirement from teaching, Wawato was still a spry lady with a sharp mind. However, for the last 18 years of her life, she suffered from a congenital disorder that left her mostly crippled. She hobbled with great effort using a cane or crutches to get around. Despite her difficulty in moving, she faithfully attended church services at our house. “Good morning!” she would call warmly when she reached the doorway to our downstairs meeting room. We never heard her utter a single word of complaint about her disability.
For years, Galuma has been my right-hand man, faithfully assisting me in our church services. He and Wawato became like parents to us. They took care of our mission house whenever we were away, sleeping in the lower level and taking care of our yard and energetic dog.
But last year, while we were on furlough in the States, we received the tragic news that Wawato had suddenly died. We grieved at the shocking news. More than that, we were concerned about how Galuma’s grief would affect him and his family spiritually. Would his faith be shaken? Halfway around the world from those dear ones, we could only pray that God would comfort them.
When we finally were able to return to PNG and Kewa village, we had a sweet, emotional reunion with Galuma and his family. “Let me tell you the story of Mother’s passing,” he said. “You know that devotional book you gave us before you left? Mother and I had been reading its daily messages in our family worship. On the day she died, in the morning we read the message for that day. It focused on the story of the crippled woman in Luke 13:10-17. After 18 years of suffering, the woman received healing from Jesus. That evening, Mother died peacefully in her sleep. Only later did I realize the significance of this. Mother had been crippled for 18 years. I now believe that God relieved Mother of her malady just like He did for the woman in Luke. I am comforted that this was the last story we read together. The next thing Mother will know, she will see Jesus coming in the clouds. At that time she will have a new body, perfect and without defect.”
