A Sad Day
Today has been a sad day for us. Mark Wilson died earlier this week and today we attended his funeral. He was our dear friend and pastor at St. James Episcopal Church here in Fairhope. When Gorman has his first surgery, it was Mark, along with Gorman’s sister and another good friend, who sat with me for many hours at Mobile Infirmary, waiting and waiting for the results. He was a gift from God and helped us through some dark hours and we will miss him. He was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, after Gorman’s diagnosis (I think of everything in terms of “before Gorman’s diagnosis; after Gorman’s diagnosis”). He had surgery and treatment and we thought he was just fine but several months ago it came back. He was only 63. A friend once said to me, “Why does God have to take the good guys?” I can’t help but think about that. I had expected Mark to preside over Gorman’s funeral. He wasn’t supposed to go first. With all the mean and hateful people in this world, why Mark? Why does Gorman have brain cancer? I know we’re not supposed to think this way and my pea brain cannot fix my logic on this. I want to say that I will have some questions for God when I get to heaven but what I really want is for God to fill me with His peace so that I don’t feel the need to understand every single thing on this earth.
Posted on January 11, 2015, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
keepingupwithgorman 
Bev, I am so sorryvfor this loss for youband Gorman and all who loved Mark. I know I have struggles to understand as well, bt remind myself that I can never understand God’s thoughts or know his ways. It in no way diminishes our faith and I believe he understands. May the peace of Chrst be with you. gayla
My deepest sympathy
Thinking of you and Gorman.
Sorry to hear of you loss of a good friend. He must have been a great Priest. Please don’t let this get the two of you too down. Johnny K.
So sorry about the loss of your close friend and pastor!! So much we don’t understand! Guess it gives us peace knowing we do not need to have all answers–just continue trusting Him!!
Take care!! Karen & Jimmy
Amen to that. Sorry for the loss of ya’lls good friend who is certainly in the Father’s realm.
Hi Beverly, First – I’m so glad that you had a good Christmas. And then, I’m sad about your friend Mark. It’s hard to accept the loss of a friend – especially a good and young one!
We have had a poignant loss in our family these last weeks. My uncle Nick (you may remember from the Children’s Clinic, Howard Nichols) and Aunt Betty lived next door to us for 29 years. Betty was a dynamo, until struck down by a stoke 12 years ago. Ever since, the total focus of Nick’s life was taking care of Betty. Betty had another stroke on Jan 7, was totally paralyzed, and thankfully did not awake. Nick had gotten very feeble and, in fact, had pneumonia when she died 6 days later. He had refused to go to the hospital, wanting to go to Heaven with her. Of course he was treated and we all thought he was getting stronger. But the day after his daughter went back to Nashville, he awoke, and stopped breathing. That was this past Saturday. His funeral will be tomorrow. I’m sharing this with you because it is such a tender story. Their lives were long and full -with the important exception of the stoke 12 years ago. So their memorial services are about gratitude for the people they each were and the long and full lives they led. Such a testimony to a faithful and loving marriage.
I don’t say this to compare in any way to your young friend Mark. I’m sorry that he did not realize this kind of long life. I just wanted to tell you about another example of God’s hand at work.
I recently read The Storied Life of AJ Fikerly. Wow! I’ve doubled up my prayers for Gorman following this book!
With you in spirit,
Betsy