A lover of Christ, and a lover of men - sister Merlin Bingayen
I met sister Merlin in the year 2018 at one of the Lord’s table meetings in Kingston. We did not sit far from each other, and as soon as she discovered that I also lived on the south coast, she immediately gave me a warm smile and started sharing with me how this ministry had opened her eyes. Personally, I was experiencing some ups and downs during that time, yet the fresh appreciation of the ministry from her sharing was like a drop of fresh dew that cherished my being. We then had had a great time meeting as the saints on the south coast, and whenever I met her, she always told me how blessed she was to be able to be in the church life with the satins and be part of the building up the Body of Christ. As a sister who was geographically isolated from other saints, I was often encouraged by her fresh appreciation of the Body of Christ.
Not long after, we (the saints) knew that she had to go
through some treatment due to her health condition. It was very difficult for
her and her family, but we prayed. Then one time she shared with me that although
there were times she was scared and worried or felt weak and did not want to
come to the meetings, the supply of life in the Body had always kept her. To the
saints in the church life, sister Merlin was definitely on our heart constantly,
and this verse often dawned on me when I thought of sister Merlin: “…with whom
I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you” (Gal 4:19). It felt
like a corporate experience in the Body even though she was the main person who
had gone through those sufferings.
Gradually, her heart to pursue the Lord had become stronger
and stronger. On the south coast, sisters had phone calls every morning to read
the Bible. She might be the one who was suffering, but she was always the one
who got on the call on time and persistently pursue the Lord. The verses that
she read were like honey to her, sweet and tasty; and to those who read with
her, the Word of God became even dearer to us as well. She once prayed that the
Lord would keep her voice as long as possible so she could enjoy Christ with
other saints! She kept reading with us until her health condition did not
permit. On the Lord’s days, she was the one who did not hesitate to share her
portion of Christ. Oh, the life and light that she had dispensed into the
saints have eternal values!
Dear sister Merlin, it is indeed a loss that you are no
longer with us physically, yet I am also comforted that you are with your (and
our) beloved Lord, the One you loved dearly and affectionately. The pattern that
you had set before us does encourage us to go on with the Lord, and your life
on the earth had had a dispensational value to the Lord for His move on the earth.
Finally, I would like to put this hymn that you and I once enjoyed very much together.
Hymnal 395
Comments
Post a Comment