THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

I did not know Oom Injo too well. Due to health reasons, he was usually in his room whenever I visited Tante Margaret. But the little I knew about him, there was one thing that is absolutely clear about him: He was devoted to God! Every time I asked him to pray, he would participate without hesitation. In his last days, despite his weakened condition, he would still pray, say amen, and thank you. Whenever I read the Bible to him, he would attentively listen, and become fully responsive. In His infinite wisdom and perfect time, Our Heavenly Father called this man of God home last week.

But there is more about Oom Injo that I knew, not from him but from his family: He was devoted to his family! He cared about his wife and his children, one of them is Roni, whom we all know. Oom Injo was not much of a talker; he was a doer. I can pretty much see Oom Injo in Roni; they show their faith and love through their actions. Oom Injo did not take; he gave. Oom Injo did not make any claim; he abandoned that need a long time ago; instead, he let go. That’s how he lived, and that’s how he raised and loved his family.

Psalms 127:3-5 reminds us, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” Oom Injo only had two children—Roni and Lorraine—but as we all know what makes our quiver or heart full is not how many children we have, but rather how well they lead their lives—how devoted they are to God and to their family.

Devoted to God and devoted to his family. That best describes who Oom Injo was. No accessories, no beautiful frame to put the picture in; none is needed because the picture itself already speaks volume.

Pastor Paul