Rubber and Road

My sister gets a face-to-face with the Maker of all things

Life comes at each one of us very quickly and it sometimes … often … sneaks up behind us and whacks us over the head with a blunt instrument. This has happened to me many times, but I never get used to it.  

As a child of divorce and two remarriages, I have two sets of siblings, one American and one Kenyan. All the Kenyans live in the country except one – Janet Akinyi – who immigrated to the USA many years ago along with her son Eugene Olude. 

I don’t talk to my siblings often, but we stay connected mostly via social media. Janet and our sister Lucy Adhiambo particularly enjoy sharing Bible verses as do I. We hold each other's arms up in our faith in Christ. I enjoy seeing my sisters’ beautiful faces as well.   

Janet is a glamour girl; she likes hair, makeup, clothing, jewelry, and, most especially, shoes. A number of years back she was trying to sell off her many shoes but none of us Americans were able to buy them from her because her feet were so small. We all have big American feet. 

 She would post pictures of herself often, and they were all amazing. I didn't feel jealous of her but wished that I had some of her straight-up panache. (I am and have always been a bit of a tomboy.)  

I knew Janet had some health challenges, but I did not know they were so severe. So, I was shocked to the core when our brother Charles Otieno messaged me all the way from Kenya and told me that Janet was gone; that she had passed away. She had suffered a stroke.  

As most of you know, I talk about faith here and elsewhere. I talk about the works of God and Christ’s free gift of salvation. And it is here – the death of beloveds - where God's Word meets life. It's one of those many paradoxes that He is fond of using when manifesting Himself to human beings. Death is not the end of existence; our bodies die but the soul and spirit - those things that animate our bodies; those things that make each one of us an individual - live on.  

A while back, a Christian friend asked me to pray for a sick child of one of her friends, and of course I did. When the child died, my friend messaged me saying that she was having trouble with the fact that so many people had been praying for the little girl, but she died. It was a notion I had grappled with long before and that God settled, so I reminded her that when our bodies die, we still exist and are healed in Heaven. That is what has happened to my sister. It’s difficult to rejoice at this, but it is still the truth. 

Janet Akinyi Ochieng has died, and she lives. And, as a bonus, she is completely healed of all her physical afflictions. It is as simple and as complicated as that.  

So now, I am in grief but not in despair and I am praying that mindset for my remaining siblings and especially for Janet's only child Eugene who is in the process of becoming a pastor, interestingly enough. He also is, obviously, getting the opportunity to apply God's word to his life.  

I won't be able to attend Janet's memorial service in Texas, due to the many financial obligations I have this week, but I know that Eugene understands. I plan to send flowers. The service is next weekend.  

With the spiritual implications related to the death of the body gotten out of the way – for now - Eugene has the unique challenge of sending his mother's body back to Kenya for interment. As you can imagine, it is a very intricate and expensive undertaking. So, Eugene has organized a Go Fund Me account to that end and has already raised a fifth of the amount requested.  

If you would like to assist, please donate to that account. If you can't - and I know some people, including me, have issues with Go Fund Me - but you if are inclined to prayer, please pray for the success of Eugene's effort in the time allotted (April 1) and, most importantly, pray for the faith and blessed assurance in our hearts.

Thank you.