Remembering Adrian Stokes

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Come As You Are by Crowder

Adrian loved the Lord! 

What a blessing to have known him since 1989 when I first came to Australia.  He was one of many who made me feel welcome in this new and strange country.  We met at church and when I opened the doors of my small apartment to offer Bible study to the young adults, he rarely missed it. 

He would sit in one of the rattan chairs opposite me and nearest the windows.  He was someone who understood Acts 17:11, and enjoyed asking for proof texts if something did not make sense…and therefore kept me on my toes. 

He had a warm and sweet sense of humour and when we did a special study on God’s gift of love, he shared his tender heart for one of the Elder’s daughters.  She did not even know he existed and even when she did, she was not a bit interested.  But like a true knight, he worked hard to convince her and eventually had to give up -- but always held her in his heart. 

He helped me embrace Australia and took time to show me places I would have missed.  One weekend, the young adult’s group had a sort of scavenger’s hunt/ road rally.  He was in the back seat sharing navigator responsibilities with another passenger as I negotiated my first ever roundabout, thinking it was ‘first-in-best-dressed’.  We almost crashed, and I abandoned the rest of the rally to the skilled and SAFE driving of Adrian.

When a surprising hurricane screamed up the harbour and tore a path up the Pacific Highway in 1991, Adrian called me to see if I was alright.  Then asked if I wanted to go visit Pastor Norris and Edith Brooks and see if they needed help. 

Their place was right in the path of the storm.  It took over two hours, driving through all the downed trees and heavy traffic along the way.  Adrian could be very patient.  When we arrived, there was so much work to do and lots of thanksgiving that no trees crashed through their house.

Years later, he moved to live with an uncle in Queensland.  He had a small room in the back of his house and shared it with his family of Chihuahuas.   A year later he had a near-fatal stroke.  Oh, the stroke was not that bad, but he fell into a door jamb when it happened and cracked open his head. 

He was a long time in hospital and when he returned he faced the loss of everything he owned (except his dogs) from the 2011 floods, then lived in temporary shelters far too long. 

Not long after, they discovered the multiple myeloma cancer and horrific treatments began as he struggled to maintain some semblance of a real life.  Eventually, and thankfully, he found a home in the back of Phil’s house with his last companion dog, Toby.  It was not perfect, but it was his sanctuary from the pain and suffering that had become an everyday part of his life. 

We talked nearly every other day for the last fifteen years.  I heard jokes, anger, confusion, stories, fears and tears.  He would call me almost every Wednesday, while in the dialysis chair and after his cancer infusion to share his walk with Toby with me. 

Sometimes, he would call right after exercising on his cardio-twister (exercise machine) that he insisted was necessary to keep some strength in his post-tri-athlete’s body.  Perhaps, Toby and that cardio-twister were the two secrets to his endurance through so much. 

The last year has been very difficult for Adrian as he knew he needed more help.  Then Carol and Shane stepped up to bring him relief -- and most of all -- God’s love and compassion.  I thank God for Carol and Shane … and for Phil … who gave so much to Adrian, even when it was not easy.

I thought it would be good to consider two of the many favourite Bible passages Adrian loved and then end with a little story that sums up his humility and wonder. 

   

==========Two versions, whichever is best for you ==========

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes.  Fear the Lord and turn away from evil, It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.”  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

“If you want favour with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself.  In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (TLB)

And...

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)

“Because of His kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ.  And even trusting is not of yourselves, it too is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.  It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” (TLB)

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And here is a story to consider: 

One day a poor boy saw a man selling ripe cherries and when he looked at the beautiful fruit, his eyes filled with longing.  But he had no money to buy cherries.  The kindly vendor noticed him and asked the boy, ‘Do you want some cherries?’  And the little boy said that he did. 

The man said to the boy, ‘Hold out your hands and I will give you some.’  But the little boy did not hold out his hands.  The man said again, ‘Hold out your hands,’ but again the little boy would not.  The man reached down, took the child’s hands, and filled them with two big handfuls of cherries. 

Later the boy’s mother heard about what happened and asked, ‘Why didn’t you hold out your hands when he asked you to?”  And the little boy answered, ‘His hands were so much bigger than mine I knew I could not hold them all!”

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Oh, God’s hands are so much bigger than we can imagine!  They have now filled Adrian’s hands with more blessings than we can ever understand.  You see, through it all, God was holding Adrian and would not let go. 

If you do not have this assurance, please ask someone who does know what led Adrian to Heaven for all Eternity. 

I will miss hearing Adrian’s voice but know Someone is holding him with true love; and that Adrian is finally pouring all that stored up love he had, on Jesus.