One might imagine that a minister receives nothing but encouragement and support when his wife is dying. Overwhelmingly, yes, in my experience -- I myself received wonderful support. Yet it may be the Adversary's opportunity, too. During the time of my wife Mirjam's final decline (her last weeks), a Church member called me up and said: "How are you coping?" I said: "Under the circumstances, well thank you. But it's tough." He said: "That's not true! The minister has fallen in a heap! Fallen in a heap! Fallen in a heap!" I said: "I've kept going without skipping a beat, as you know. I don't want to hear you repeat that, anywhere." He put down the phone, and hurried to the Church office. He said: "The minister has fallen in a heap! Fallen in a heap!" In the days that followed, he called me up again: "She's dying, ha! She's dying, ha ha! She's dying!" Again he called me up: “You've got no faith! No faith! No faith!” OBSERVATION: This disturbed me. Mirjam said weakly: "He is nothing in the kingdom of God."
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