Celebration of Life of Linda Chan. Sosana (1st left front)

Linda calls me “Sue.” It was the nickname given to me by her, and only she gets to use it. Growing up together, we were a pair. Only a year apart, she was the quiet and demure one. So, I have to be the loud and extroverted one, enough for the two of us. Fortunately, she found her own voice and knew how to use it when she and I were no longer together.

We had our usual sibling rivalry, just like everyone else does. Being the extroverted one, I usually can get my way, or so I thought. Growing up, we usually have fruit after dinner. Dad or Mom would cut the oranges into wedges and evenly distributed them between Linda and me. One time, the oranges were particularly sweet. I wanted more. Since there were no more to be had, I stole a wedge from Linda’s share. “Hey! That was mine!” She proclaimed loudly. And before I could steal anymore, she proceeded to lick each one of her wedges that were left. “Oh, gross!” I said. Linda had a victorious smile on her face and we all laughed. There was no way I was going to eat those oranges now.

She loves and honors my parents. I hate to admit it, but she was more so than I was when we were young. It was her wish for my parents to move to Sacramento to be close to her. She said to them, “Sue already had you for over 20 years. Now it’s my turn.” To make sure that her plan will succeed, she brought me into it. She said to me, “Try to convince Mom and Dad to move to California. Then they won’t need to deal with Chicago winters.” And I just thought she was only thinking of them.

Linda was my girls’ favorite aunt. Kristen, my second daughter of 14 years, told me one thing that Linda did that made her feel better. She gave me permission to share the following with you all. Kristen got into an argument with her younger sister Danielle. She was still mad when Linda found her and took the time to talk to her. Linda told Kristen about Christine, her first-born who died 10 days after she was born. Because of what happened, Linda said to her “Be grateful for the relationships that you have with the people that you eventually will lose. Be grateful to God for the time you get to spend with them. Stay positive about them.” Linda then proceeded to tell Kristen how she and I used to fight about the stupidest things. Now, I would have appreciated that Linda didn’t say that last part. She just blew away any good image I would like my girls to have of me!

Like many of you, I was heart-broken when I heard that Linda had died. It was too unbelievable! She was going to be 49 years old. And yet, God shows me that He is still good.

“Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.” Psalm 25:8

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:7

Did God know she would die? Yes, because He is Omniscient. King David said in Psalm 139:16 “Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”

Could God have prevented it? Yes, because He is Omnipotent. Psalm 33:8-9 “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”

Why did God let this happen? Ultimately, it is to bring glory to His name. Just like how God is still glorified through the short life of Linda’s first-born Christine, God will be glorified through the death of Linda. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

Do I like what happened? Of course not! I know that Linda is with God in heaven because the Lord Jesus is her Savior and Lord Master. But I am jealous that God gets to have her now fully and I don’t have her anymore. And now feels like eternity. But GOD IS STILL GOOD.

I will still praise my Lord Jesus Christ. I will still bless His name. Why? Because “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11.

Linda 師母安息禮拜追悼詞

作者：胡姍姍                        翻譯： 廖啟宏
Linda 幫我取了個她專用的小名叫Sue。我們相差一歲，從小就是焦不離孟。Linda永遠是安靜拘謹，所以我沒辦法, 只好當個吵鬧外向的孩子。雖然我從小把她的發言機會都搶走了，幸好她在我們長大之後找回了自己的聲音，也在音樂上有了很好的發展。

我們從小就有常見的姐妹之爭。身為外向的孩子，我總能得逞，至少我是這麼認為。我記得小時候在晚餐後都有水果，爸爸媽媽總是把水果均等地分給我和Linda。有一次水果是超甜的柳橙，我想要多一點! 因此我從Linda的盤子裡偷了一片。「喂!! 那是我的!!」 Linda大聲地抗議。在我還來不及偷第二片的時候，她已經把自己盤子裡的柳橙正反面都舔了一遍。「太噁心了吧!!」我抱怨著。只記得Linda臉上露出勝利的笑容。

Linda敬重我們的父母。事實上，在我們年輕的時候她比我還要敬重父母，雖然我不想承認。她總是希望爸媽能夠搬到沙加緬度和她住近一些。她告訴他們: 「你們已經在Sue身邊20年了，現在該輪到我了吧!」 為了要讓她的計畫成功，她還把我納入計畫的一部分: 「說服爸媽搬到加州來! 這樣他們不用受芝加哥的嚴寒之苦!」 我還天真地以為她只想著他們呢!

Linda是我女兒最棒的阿姨。我的第二個女兒Kristen現在十四歲。她允許我可以分享下面這個故事。她告訴我有一次她和她的妹妹Danielle起了爭執，Linda發現了之後把她帶到一旁。Linda和她分享Christine的故事, 這是她的第一個在世上只活了十天的孩子。Linda告訴她說:「在我們與親人相處的每一個時刻向神獻上感恩，總要說造就的話。」 接著Linda又和Kristen分享她和我以前為了一些小事爭吵的事情。她說的那最後一句話把我在我女兒面前建立的完美形象毀於一旦。

正如妳們許多人一樣，我聽到Linda過世的消息心都碎了。太難以相信了! 她才快要49歲! 但是神告訴我祂仍是美善的!

「耶 和 華 是 良 善 正 直 的 ， 所 以 他 必 指 示 罪 人 走 正 路 。」 詩篇25:8

「你 們 要 嘗 嘗 主 恩 的 滋 味 ， 便 知 道 他 是 美 善 ； 投 靠 他 的 人 有 福 了 ！」 詩篇34:8

「耶 和 華 本 為 善 ， 在 患 難 的 日 子 為 人 的 保 障 ， 並 且 認 得 那 些 投 靠 他 的 人 。」 那鴻書1:7

神知道Linda會過世嗎? ！知道，因為祂是全知的。大衛王在詩篇139:16說到：「我 未 成 形 的 體 質 ， 你 的 眼 早 已 看 見 了 ； 你 所 定 的 日 子 ， 我 尚 未 度 一 日， 你 都 寫 在 你 的 冊 上 了 。」

神能夠阻止Linda過世嗎? 能夠，因為祂是全能的。詩篇33:8-9說： 「願 全 地 都 敬 畏 耶 和 華 ！ 願 世 上 的 居 民 都 懼 怕 他 ！因 為 他 說 有 ， 就 有 ， 命 立 ， 就 立 。」

那為什麼神允許這件事發生呢? 最終是為了榮耀祂的名。正如神透過Linda第一個孩子Christine短暫的生命得著榮耀一般，神在Linda過世的事上也會得著榮耀。「我 們 曉 得 萬 事 都 互 相 效 力 ， 叫 愛 神 的 人 得 益 處 ，就 是 按 他 旨 意 被 召 的 人 。」羅馬書8:28

我喜歡這事嗎? 當然不!! 我曉得Linda現在在天堂與神同在，因為她已經接受耶穌為她生命中的救主。但我忌妒神，因為祂現在擁有Linda而我當下見不到她了! 當下這一刻感覺像是永久，但是神仍是美善的。

我仍能讚美主耶穌基督。我仍能稱頌祂的名。為什麼呢? 因為「我們的主 ， 我們的神 ， 你是配得榮耀、尊貴 、權柄的 ； 因為你創造了萬物 ，並且萬物是因你的旨意被創造而有的 。」啟示錄4:11