A Tribute To
The late Rev Loh Soon Choy's
First Anniversary - Part 1
By Lydia Kristanto
The late Rev Loh Soon Choy’s family was asked to write about him to commemorate the first anniversary of his death. Each of them writes from their own point of view. Lydia, Rev Loh’s wife, remembers the everlasting arms that supported her through the difficult years of caring for her husband and the past year of grief in the first article. The second article, written by Debbie the eldest daughter, looks at accepting the illness and what made her father so brave in the face of death. The third article, written by Rev Loh’s youngest child Miriam, looks to the future and how Rev Loh will be remembered.
Held by Everlasting Arms
A year has passed since my grandson asked a startling question. “Mom, is Poh Poh going to marry again?”
An innocent nine-year-old asked an innocent question to his mother upon hearing of his grandfather’s death. I couldn’t help bursting into laughter, and I was baffled at the same time. How in the world could such a question come from one so young?
But that funny little incident made me more aware that I had always been loved by everlasting love. A hard-to-explain, loving presence had held me together as I ministered to my loved one during his time of sickness. It had not been easy as deep inside, and I felt frozen by sadness and uncertainties about the future. During those times, a quiet, gentle voice filled my heart and head with words of assurance that I was not alone. God reminded me that I am His beloved who was bought by the priceless blood of Christ.
I read and was much helped by the writings of Henri Nouwen, especially his book ‘Life of the Beloved’. To him, “God is the one who calls me the Beloved, and I have a desire to express to others how I try to become more fully who I already am.” In our daily living, we are to keep on claiming the true identity of being a beloved child of God and fighting off the bombardment of destructive lies of unworthiness. Slowly, I woke up from my frozen state. A surge of joy and energy began to flow into my veins, and God’s love enabled me to see His gracious touch in the rhythm of everyday life. It is amazing to see how God provided and cared through the love of the community of His people. Despite the challenges of the days, God filled my heart with songs of praise and gratitude.
Since his departure, my beloved has missed two special dates: our supposed 50th anniversary and his 83rd birthday. My family celebrated the days by remembering how kind God is in bringing him into our lives as a husband, father, teacher, friend and model of being a servant of God.
As I look back at the length of time we shared, I am amazed. Half a century! Despite his shortcomings, the striking feature of his life is how he loved his Master and how he loved his wife. I must confess that occasionally I became jealous of God. During our dates, he would be more occupied with strangers he befriended on our outings. From his bag, he would fish out tracts that explained the way to life with God. He would explain it with enthusiasm, and I watched with amazement.
I remember the day we went shopping for an engagement ring. I was still a student at the Discipleship Training Centre in Singapore then. He had just graduated six months before. Our lecturers had teased him that even if he had to sell his old Morris Minor, he had to get an engagement ring for his bride. Earlier in the day, he withdrew all of his savings from the Post Office Savings Bank; it amounted to the sum of S$150. We went to the goldsmith shop on Bras Basah Road owned by a friend of his eldest brother. He took out the money from his wallet, put it on the counter and told the shop owner, “Find me a diamond ring for this amount.” I was stunned. Here was a man who pledged his all for love. This has stayed true throughout the years. This wholeheartedness characterised not only his life but also his ministry. In October 2019, he published his “Grandfather Stories” with true grit, which he compiled especially for his two grandchildren. The stories were written amidst his pain and declining condition.
He translated his devotion to God in his faithful service as pastor-teacher, not only within the Malaysia Bible Seminary or the Evangelical Free Churches but also with the people of God at large. His marriage was to be faithful to his promise ‘to love, cherish and honour, till death do us part’. The sincerity of his love for his spouse and children provided security and stability in the family. At the same time, it caused growth and maturity in the recipients. So when cancer invaded our lives five years ago, we held on. It was far from easy for everyone, especially him, but never once did I hear a word of complaint. His ‘I love you’s and ‘thank you’s never ceased whenever I did something for him. His hugs were firm and deliberate, as well as his kisses. For his 82nd birthday, he requested a Japanese lunch meal, which was his last outing.
It happened six weeks later. It was a pleasant afternoon, not too hot. I returned from a health check-up, and after a shower, I went to see him in the room. He was awake, and I announced cheerfully, “Lunch is coming soon”.
As Debbie prepared his porridge and brought it in, I held his hand and sang softly ‘Jesus Loves Me’. He looked intently at me and whispered, “I want to see Jesus”. I nodded my head while swallowing my tears inside. I held up a spoon of porridge to feed, but he shook his head.
“OK. Later then,” I said.
I continued holding his hand and singing. He closed his eyes and opened them again. But this time, they looked rather strange as if the light had gone. He closed his eyes again. He looked asleep, but the stillness was too deep. We checked his pulse on the arm and the neck, and nothing! He had followed his beloved Good Shepherd, who guided him safely home.
This is a 3 part sharing to commemorate the first anniversary of the late Rev Loh by his wife and daughters.
Part 1 – Held by Everlasting Arms ( Lydia Kristanto) published on 10th Nov 2021.
Part 2 – In The Time We Have Left (Debbie Loh) published on 11th Nov 2021.
Part 3 – 10 Things to Do to Remember You (Miriam Loh DeShield) published on 12th Nov 2021.
