One Sweet Day
This year at Easter we were privileged to shared in the story of the Hewlett family for a brief time. Charles Hewlett is on staff at Carey College, and his daughter was born perfect 12 years ago. He and his wife Joanne celebrated the way all parents do, until noticing that certain milestones of development weren’t happening for Janelle. They took her to the doctors, to discover that she had a brain tumour. It was a tumour that was meant to take her life within a year of it’s discovery. Then the year after that, and the year after that. 12 years on, today we celebrated her life with her parents, grandparents, teachers and friends. But the remarkable story here, isn’t that of Janelle’s death, but of her life. Her illness rendered her infantile in a growing and changing body. Unable to use words or speech, her communication was limited, but emphatic. Her parents have spent the past 12 years loving her with unconditional passion, love & support. Today, they stood in front of a community and thanked God for every small and good thing that they remembered of Janelle. They were small things, and it was humbling. 12 years worth of longing for a conversation, a ‘mum’ or ‘dad’, of nappy-changing and watching a little girl who was regal, suffering so has produced two remarkable followers of Jesus, and has asked more of all of us.

For whatever reason, Janelle’s illness was nothing genetic, however, her younger brother is severely intellectually handicapped also. Two parents, who remain relatively unrecognised or acknowledge by their children. Two children who are experiencing the remarkable love of the Father, and know not what they have.

Our Prayer
Our Father who lives in heaven
How beautiful your name
May you be honoured in this place

Amen