Thursday, February 3, 2011

Letter from Tracey Johnston

To My Dear Family and Friends at Subi Church

It is with great love that I thank God for you all.

Your love, generosity and support over these last 7 months have been a great source of comfort to myself and Graham until the time he went to be with our Lord. I miss him terribly, yet I take comfort in the knowledge he is alive, just not with us anymore.

The cards and letters I have received have been a wonderful testimony of your love and admiration for him. I have received letters from all over the world and I am so thankful that Subi supported Graham in his desire to serve in other countries. He could not have done this without your willingness to let him go. The

Silver Chain nurse asked Graham if he was ready to die, and if he thought he had lived a full life, to which he said he felt he had lived 3 life times.

He was so courageous, and the day before he died, I asked him if the doctors could identify the infection would he be willing to go back to hospital, was he still willing to fight and he said yes. With that comment he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him and he kissed me and said I love you sweetie. He was in so much pain and discomfort, but he was so soft and his heart was so open.

I thank God that we were all around him in his last minutes. Paige was just about to go for a walk and I could see he was nearing the end. I sent someone to get her quickly and thanked God for His grace in that. It still does not seem real to me, and I think he has just gone on one of his trips and will be home soon. I am constantly reflecting on things he said and did throughout my day. The memories are so rich and so many.

He was larger than life, and I have had an incredible 21 years, with the most amazing experiences, from the diversity of people he brought into my life to the many moments when he made me see our Lord in a new and powerful way. I felt privileged to be Graham’s wife and loved being the wife of a pastor. We would miss you all when we were away, there was nowhere else we wanted to be on a Sunday morning.

So I thank you all for making the time in ministry at Subi Church a deeply satisfying and wonderful experience. Graham would always say, it does not matter what is happening on the platform as much as what is happening in the pews. You all have helped make Subiaco Church the great church it is. I look forward to what is ahead. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

May God continue to be glorified in Subi Church.

Love Tracey, Paige & Carson

Jesus replied, “ You do not realize now what I am doing,
but later you will understand.”

John 13:7

Tribute for Graham Johnston

Words cannot express my thoughts about the blessing Graham has been to me personally.  He has inspired me with his amazing gift for expounding the Word of God, his absolute commitment to the work of sharing the good news of salvation, his love for Jesus his Saviour and his dedication to being a whole hearted follower of Him.

He always greeted me with a smile and warm hug after the Sunday morning service  – how I’ll miss this gorgeous man of God.

 

Tracey may the Lord comfort, strengthen and bless  you as you mourn the loss of your beloved husband, friend and mentor.   May the Lord especially help your lovely children, Paige and Carson as they feel the terrible loss of their loving father.

 

I have always loved your precious  family and hold you in high esteem.  I’ll continue to uphold you in prayer every day asking the Lord to comfort and help you as you go through this sad time.

 

With much love and prayer

 

Dillicia