I always felt a close connection with my uncle. I was his first niece and as I got older and I had my youngest daughter, I went back to church and our mutual faith made our relationship stronger.

Sadly about 3 1/2 years ago my uncle was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. I watched him go from completely healthy to having to blend his food, feed and dress him. He was obviously devastated and scared but from the day he was diagnosed to the day he died 18 months later holding my hand, he would praise the Lord!

Uncle Andy was praying for a miracle, he believed that Our God is a God of miracles and he held onto that faith.

When I had a call from the hospice to come in, as they needed to tell him he only had a couple of weeks left to live, I prayed to God. 

Why??!!! 

What an opportunity to show you are a good caring God, a God of miracles, what a witness this could be to family and friends that do not believe.

My uncle was losing the ability to talk but the last thing I was able to understand him saying is when the nurses sat down with us and told him he had a few weeks left, he said ‘I know where I’m going!’

He asked the nurse ‘Do you know Jesus Christ?’

She said she wasn’t really allowed to talk about faith but she nodded and said she was his sister in Christ. Then he wept. We all did.

I want my faith to be as strong as my uncle’s. We don’t understand why God didn’t heal him and let us have him with us longer here, but I know that God knows why and that we will see each other again one day.

My Uncle Andy has had such an impact on my life. Seeing how his faith never faulted, even through such a devastating time strengthened my faith. I still have questions and things I don’t understand but I believe in God and I pray that my faith will grow stronger over time.