“We prayed for healing but the Lord healed him eternally.”
Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic meant changing routines overnight. In some ways, it helped develop a profound understanding of what matters most: life and family. But how would you deal with the earthly life of a dear person being taken away?
That’s the ordeal that Sis. Dothy Diokno and her family went through amidst the lockdowns and quarantines.
Being members of the Couples of Christ and its Family Ministries made them a tight-knit family. The virus that shut down the world meant spending more time with one another. After all, the family of five lived under one roof. Yet though they have received their vaccines, the virus still affected their family in September 2021. Dothy’s dad was the first to contact COVID-19 Delta variant, followed by her mom and the three siblings.
While they initially quarantined themselves at home, Dothy and her family had to bring their father, who is already a senior citizen, to the hospital for proper treatment. Her mother had to accompany her father for almost a month, meaning she and her siblings had to stay at home by themselves.
At first, her father’s condition improved, giving Dothy and her family optimism that he will fully recover. Unfortunately, seeing her father in person again wasn’t meant to be.
Dealing with grief was tough, especially with the rock of their family passing away. What made it tougher was the isolation brought by the pandemic.
Leaning On The True Foundation
Amidst this ordeal, Dothy and her family held onto the rock that has kept their family strong through thick and thin. As she said, the Lord guided them through their grief. Likewise, the CFC community showed support through heartfelt messages and the sending of provisions like food and money. The community also helped with their hospital bill.
The assistance they received made Dothy feel that God’s foundation remained unshaken. The Lord used people to help them through this storm, making them feel that they were never alone, even at a time when social distancing was observed.
Their family was consoled when Dothy’s father tested COVID negative upon his passing. This meant they could give him a proper burial, which they all witnessed since they all tested negative. While her father wasn’t with them anymore, Dothy intends to keep his presence alive by living her life through the foundation that her father provided.
To move forward, Dothy continues to pattern her life according to the faithfulness and humility her father showed through public service and through the CFC community. The example he left over decades of service will be the solid foundation that will keep her father’s legacy alive.
The pain remains even years after the passing of Dothy’s father. After all, his death is a void that their family can never address. However, they find peace that he’s already with God, the solid rock by which he blessed countless people during his life on earth. Now, it’s Dothy’s turn to share the joy his father imparted to all.
Credits:
Written by Lawrence Andrew Fernandez | Edited by Angeli Arellano | Graphics and Layout by Jay Lucena