“If you had asked me, ‘what is the worst thing that could happen?’ I would have said, losing Norma. My prayer partner, my best friend.”
Ministry leader Wayne Pederson shares his heart with what God has taught him after the death of his wife, Norma, after a battle with cancer, and 45 years of marriage.
“Because mankind allowed evil to come into the world, even righteous people taste of that from time to time. And until Jesus comes back to redeem this toxic world, this is the world in which we live. Norma said repeatedly, ‘I trust You, Lord.‘ It reminds me of what Job said, ‘though He slay me, yet will I trust Him’.”
Even when the darkness comes into our life – as it will for all of us at some point, God has not taken His hand or presence from us. In Wayne’s words, “God is there when the worst possible thing happens.”
“We came to Minnesota on Memorial Day weekend. Norma’s mom saw her and said ‘You need to get to a doctor.’ We saw our physician the very next day.”
The doctor confirmed that Norma had stage 3 ovarian cancer. She went through chemotherapy and seemed to be responding well. Within a matter of months the cancer had returned and the doctors gave her a year to live. Wayne describes the moment his wife died in early April, surrounded by her family.
“The real Norma passed from that body into the presence of Jesus.”
After her passing, Wayne has been even more focused on heaven and sharing the hope of Christ with others. We can have joy and expectancy because of Jesus’ promise to come back for us. Wayne points to three things that sustained him in this season of life:
- The Word
- God’s people
- Intercessory prayer
A final word from Wayne: “Cherish the people God’s put in your life… Go home and hug them extra hard.”
I LOST MY BROTHER JOSEPH A. STINSON ON MARCH 10, 2014, IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. JOE HELD THIS FAMILY TOGETHER IN SO MANY WAYS. HE WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR FOR 32 YEARS AFTER BEING INJUIRED PLAYING FOOTBALL AT AGE 17 AT HIGH SHCOOL GAME IN SPRINGFIELD, MO.
JOE KEEP ME GROUNDED, AND REMINDED ME DAILY THAT I AM A CHILD OF THE KING (THE MOST HIGH). HE READ AND STUDY HIS BIBLE DAILY. I KNOW HE IS WITH THE LORD, BUT I MISS HIM SO SO MUCH. BUT GOD IS MY HEALER.