WE SHALL SEE HIM WHEN THE RISEN LORD RETURNS -perfect, restored and embrace.

 Mother kept perfectly well during the pregnancy .   Our children had settled into their schools, church and life at home were busy,   delightful.   Then God gave us our second son ,Philip Mark.   He was born at Glenelg Community Hospital with Pete Koop delivering our babe.   For a fleeting moment we saw his beautiful face, and then it soon bloated, obliterating his beautiful appearance at his birth.   Instinctively, we knew Philip Mark had a serious condition.       My dear one assumed that things were not right: I comforted her not realizing the extent of the medical need.

Visiting specialists pondered, settling for the diagnosis of a heart ligament that had not closed at birth.    My dear one expressed her milk, for the little boy could not feed as Mother had fed her babes so confidently.   The staff inserted gavage tubes and fed him.  

Mother was so brave; now regarding this wee babe as seriously impaired.   We had not anticipated such major difficulty with our 7th babe. I thought of our other healthy babies and those I had delivered in my practice:   this being the first time I encountered this unsealed heart vessel.  

Philip Mark spent half of the time in the children’s hospital and in our home.   Our children were understanding , nursing and tenderly embracing this slender bundle of life.   Mother persevered expressing her milk, and while at home,  I gavaged him, guiding the tube down his nostril, ensuring that it was into his stomach and not in his airway. At times Mother was unsure, calling me from a full consulting room to slip the tube down for the little babe.   I slipped out the back door of my room, so that patients would not know.   They were precious moments.  Trying? Surely but as a family we drew near to each other and to this precious child.

Dr Eric Sims was the senior pediatrician at the Children’s hospital.   Eric gathered the finest child physicians to discuss Philip’s condition. He would not survive any surgical intervention.   Open heart surgery had not been pioneered.   Today,  a brief exploration and one suture around the structure would fully relieve.  So the little son survived between the children’s and home.  I still marvel how Mother coped: it remains a mystery.   She expressed her life-supporting milk; kept hospital vigil; and maintained a balance with each of her children at home.    With only one vehicle, Mother regulated home, school, while I managed with growing medical calls day and night- The Lord carried us through.  You can understand my admiration for Mother in her rich womanhood.   She loved that little life, and did all she could for him.   At times he spluttered, coughing up the milk: nearly choking and often distressingly blue. Difficult for my loved one.

 I wept as I briefly recorded the coming of Philip Mark’s precious life and passing to heaven.

Sunday evening long-awaited news came that a depleted Philip had been called to be with his heavenly Father.   I prayed with arms around my beloved, comforting her, sad yet relieved that the long tussle for survival was past.

I telephoned a medical friend, requesting him to operate on a patient with acute appendicitis.

We went to our children, Priscilla (Cil),  2 years old. ’Philip all right?   Not puffing for air? ‘ No. dear, He’s with Jesus- and is safe.   I’m so glad.’   We prayed- tucked her in- and she dropped off to sleep.  

We moved over to Elisabeth’s (Lis) bed.( 4 years )   ‘Will we see Philip again? Will he be well?   Will he drink without choking?’ ‘Sure, dear.’ Restful sleep soon followed.  And so to Miriam, Judith, John and Ruth.                                                  

                                                Heaven came close to our family.

Then one by one we heard their queries, comforted and prayed with our children , who understood Jesus saying,’ I go to prepare a home for you.   I will come again, and receive you unto myself.’

 One   day we shall see his face, as he plays down heaven’s golden streets.   The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’   Zechariah 8:5.    An abiding relief to Mother especially.   Yes, heaven and resurrection of the body after our Lord’s likeness are real.  

 I sought to comfort a patient, having lost a precious child,   who said, ‘Doctor, you couldn’t possibly appreciate how I feel.’   I told her of Philip, and the months of struggle and the hope we have in our Lord Jesus.   ‘I’m sorry', she said.   ‘You do latch on to it.'   ‘And so does our dear Lord Jesus.’     HE is our burden-bearer.