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Does God Care When Dear Ones Die? by Edna Kessler
Just five weeks before Edna and Frank's wedding her Dad died of a stroke, so they spent their first winter living with and helping her Mom.
Edna had asked Jesus into her heart when she was six. She was eleven when her family moved away to where they were a long way from church. Hard work filled their Sundays, until there were evangelistic services where her Dad got up to give a testimony. Touched, Edna rededicated her life to walking with the Lord. She was baptized the following summer and met Frank Kessler, and they were married in 1952.
They moved around quite a bit for a few years, during which time their first four children, Kenneth, Winnifred, Eunice, and Darcy were born. Then they settled in the area north of Saskatoon which became Martensville. The town popped up all around them.
Frank's work as a construction worker kept him away from home for weeks at a time, leaving her alone to raise their children. Frank and she exchanged letters and kept in touch that way. Occasionally, she would even pack up the kids and stay in a campsite near Frank's work so they could see him more often, or at least on weekends.
In 1973 God gave them a fifth child, through a surprise pregnancy. Nollan was a happy baby and brought lots of joy and more gratitude to God. The older children were built-in babysitters.
Two years later they were blessed with another baby boy, a large boy weighing 9 lbs. 11 oz. They named him Warren. Edna had only been home with him for a few days when she was sure he was not well. She took him back to the doctor twice, and was told he just had a bit of a cold.
The third time she insisted on seeing a specialist. Some tests proved Warren had spinal meningitis.
Edna prayed and asked for God's will to be done. She felt sure he would be another miracle and would come through it.
After six weeks in the hospital Warren's doctor called and said he had planned to release him, but he wasn't eating well enough, so they would keep him over the weekend.
Friday the hospital called to say Warren was having a relapse. At that Edna prayed again, and truly turned him over to the Lord. She untied her possessive heart from this baby. "Lord, not my will, but Yours!"
Early Tuesday morning the doctor called to say that Warren had just passed away.
That morning in her devotions Edna read Psalms 29:11. The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord will bless his people with peace. She missed that little fellow so much her arms ached to hold him. But it did give her peace to know that she did not need to go through this alone. The Bible assured her, "...the Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you."
The following summer they were blessed with their first grandchild.
Holding him helped heal her sorrow.
In 1978 they moved again, now to an acreage near Osler. They loved this country place. Five-year old Nollan delighted in the outdoors, having pets, and building tree houses. They went on family camping trips and Nollan lay on the floor studying maps for new places to go.
Nine years later, on Easter Monday, Frank and their grown sons were working on the farm on a beautiful warm day, so Edna invited their married daughter Winnifred and her family, who lived nearby, over for supper.
After the meal the young grandchildren and Nollan jumped on their bikes to go to Winnie's yard. Edna and her daughter did the dishes and then followed for a comfortable walk.
At the intersection, just three-quarters of a mile down the road, they came upon an accident and were shocked to learn it was Nollan who had been hit by a car and killed!
Edna went numb with shock. How could this be? A second son gone?
That night as her feelings began to come to life, she confronted God,
"How could You take my son?"
As plain as anything, it was as if God answered, "Nollan was my son too." It stopped her in her tracks. As Edna absorbed the truth it gave her a peace beyond anything she could express to others. She had a tremendous sense of loss and pain, but she no longer questioned God's wisdom in allowing this. He had been so good to them. He had not changed.
It was a very dark and sad time for the whole family, but they received such love and comfort from relatives and many friends. When Edna found the walls closing in on her, members of their church family would always be there for her and Frank. They could never forget Nollan, nor Warren, but Edna concluded again that God was still good to them. He had promised never to leave or forsake them, and He proved faithful to His word.
Twenty years later they moved to Warman to retire. Edna loved the country and found it hard to adjust to living in town. With time she did adjust and Frank enjoyed fishing and going for coffee with his friends.
In 2002 their son Darcy was diagnosed with lymphoma. When Edna heard this, she felt as if she had heard that tomorrow he would be gone too. However, after a cell transplant, chemo and radiation, he is back at work.
Another five years later, (2007) Edna and Frank were with relatives at Manitou Beach. They had just said good bye to Frank's sister and her family, and were going back into the water, when Frank suddenly had a heart attack and passed away immediately.
It was a shock and a busy time. Later when Edna looked back, she felt as if she had been walking, holding Frank's hand, when Christ had reached down and taken Frank's other hand, and led him up to the gates of Heaven.
God was close to her again in this time of bereavement. As she went on home alone, God brought to mind the song, "I've got more to go to Heaven for than I had yesterday."
One night when the power was out, she missed Frank so much, and wished she still had his letters from when he worked out of town so much. She was sure they had been lost at the acreage, but as she entered the garage she saw an old filing cabinet. Opening a drawer she found a box from a Bible and inside it was full of his old letters.
Again, Edna found that God was very much aware of her grief and her needs, and He met her at every turn.
Warren was two months, Nollan was thirteen years and Frank was eighty. They were married a few months short of fifty five years. Edna wasn't ready to part with anyone of them, but over and over God showed her He does care. God's heart is touched with our grief.
Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
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