I have initially planned to upload this photo on IG and FB but figured that I would do it here because there is a lot of things that I want to say - about this man.
When Adrian and I became good friends, I found out that his dad was not someone who is a pro-Christian. In Adrian's words, that time - "my dad is like anti-Christ you know".
At that time, I remembered inviting Adrian to church many times but was turned down most of the time. I stopped asking when one day he angrily said to me, "Don't keep asking me to go church. I won't go wan. If I want to go one day, then I will let you know" (paraphrased d okay).
If you know Adrian, you would know that his parents are his life - his everything. He looks up to his dad so much that every time he talks about him, his face glows. Now I see that glow when he talks about his children. When I say that his dad is everything to him, it really is. His passwords are all related to his dad, you know. It's so sweet, really.
I got to know Uncle Frankie (or father as to how his children call him) more when Adrian and I became a couple. We would spend a lot of time at home, most of the time with his parents.
Sometimes, we would just sit in the living room together and watch TV, and other times, we will play mahjong together - for hours, until Adrian needs to send me home or his dad needs to rest.
When Adrian told me that he wanted to get baptized, I was shocked and thankful of course. But we spent some time brainstorming on how he was going to ask his parents, his dad specifically - because in Adrian's understanding, his dad is against Christianity - not like super gungho but he was not a fan for sure.
I remembered Adrian consulted his sisters but both of them advised that he should not tell their dad because they worry about what it may do to him and his health. Uncle Frankie was on kidney dialysis (3-times a week). They didn't want him to be upset and for any negativity to affect the father-son relationship.
But Adrian decided to tell and ask for his blessings because he is, after all, one of the most important persons in his life. I was not there when he told his parents but to cut the story short (or you can read from here), he finally approved!
My father-in-law did not only agree and approve of Adrian's decision to be a Christian and to be baptized, but he also made sure that he has to be there to witness the entire baptism.
Now, that is a huge deal for Adrian because he was not expecting that, at all.
His dad (and mom) is his biggest supporter and they will always be. No one can take that away.
When I look at this photo, I have good goosebumps because this photo itself is the first miracle in Adrian's life and Adrian got to witness another great miracle when his dad told him that he wants to accept Christ as his personal Saviour in his hospital bed, just hours before he went home to be with the Lord.
Never in Adrian's (and mine) mind, we would ever think that his father would be a Christian but we truly believed that when you sincerely pray for someone's salvation, God is truly at work and we will see the miracle.
Adrian got to be with him through the repentance prayer and baptism and was with him till he breathed his last breath. It was heartbreaking (still is) for Adrian, his mom, and his sisters because Uncle Frankie is physically no longer here to go through life with, but with comfort, they know that he is not in pain and not suffering.
It would have been his 67th birthday today and he would be the fun-nest grandfather to the grandkids he never got to meet - Jacob, Alex, Joash, and Sofia. Truly their loss for not being able to know him - because he was one amazing man.
But we continue to celebrate life and love wherever we are and appreciating every moment we got to have with each other - because no one knows what life brings tomorrow.
I personally, regretted not having the chance to regard him as a father but I am so thankful that I got to know him and now I get to call him my father-in-law - I see so much of him in Adrian it is insane. Adrian is super like his father though he could not see it.
HAPPY 67TH BIRTHDAY, FATHER.
Enjoy Heaven and we will meet with you again, one day.