Loss

As I ran on Tuesday morning, I had to climb under a tree and run around two others. The final tree I had to circumnavigate was a long lived tree. It's trunk was thick and had seen many decades in its hillside location in Stonelaw Woods in Rutherglen. It had been uprooted and lay fallen across most of the narrow hilly park.

The evening before I had received a phone call from a friend in Caldervale High School to tell me that Gordon Austin, a maths teacher, and member of the chaplaincy team, had died suddenly. As I saw this tree lying fallen my thoughts turned again to Gordon. He was simply a good man, full of laughter and kindness. He would do all he could to help and support people around him. For 5 years we have worked together developing RO in the school and building a strong chaplaincy team. I am privileged to have known him, if only in a small way, and the love of Christ that flowed from him has touched my life and I will miss him. The fallen tree seemed to symbolise the end of something good and utterly reliable. Gordon has gone from us, but he walked with Jesus, and now rests with Him, it is not the end for him, or for those who are left behind, still feeling and benefiting from the love and kindness he brought into our lives...

Jen