Michael Knight 1991-2009

Michael with his dad Mark

Unexpected and unimaginable things happen to us often. Our friends Mark and Kathy have experienced the most unexpected one could ever imagine. The sudden loss of their beloved and healthy son Michael. He just continued his night sleep in his teenager's bedroom never awakening again. Mark and Kathy are wonderful and strong parents. They allow themselves to be torn between the mourning and the agony of separation and surrender to the Almighty who just as He took Enoch into His presence thousands of years ago, has decided to call to His service this wonderful boy. Kathy has written words to friends and family which ought not to be forgotten. They come from a hurting and wondering heart and have a prophetic meaning to those who read them. This amazing family teaches me to cherish the precious moments with my dear ones and to create many such moments. I reproduce part of Kathy's letter in this first insert.

We had a brilliant few days in the last week before he left that will make us smile for some time to come. Mike had his biggest pay packet yet! £620! He was delighted to know that 65% of that again would go toward his Worship College course in September. I was out with him in the car and congratulated him on his hard work, faithful saving and sponsorship raising that pulled together 80% of all course costs and accommodation, leaving only the food element of the year to save for. He received a packet of papers from the college explaining the registration day and accommodation procedure which made him excited that it was so close now. In the next days, I was to help him draft a ‘Letter of Resignation’ to settle his leaving date at McDonald’s and remaining 2 weeks holiday pay.
While this was happening, we had stripped the lounge room to re-paint and Mike volunteered to join me to buy paint. Little did I know that a computer shop next door was actually what he had his ‘slights’ set on! When we got to the shop, he excused himself and went instead to PC World for a super-duper mouse for his computer that seems to do everything but talk to you! He spent the next hours setting up games using his new ‘toy’. When the lounge room was finished, Mark and Mike went shopping for a £35 dvd player and came back with a flat screen/DVD/Surround sound package! Like ‘two peas in a pod’ together the naughty boys set about wiring it in and connecting all the components. Then took 2 days of “tweeking” to get the sound right! By Friday afternoon, I’d completely finished all the decorating, carpet shampooing and ornament repairing. Mark and Mike went up a ladder at the back of the house with a vine cutters and Mark was teaching Mike how to cut back all the vines around the bathroom window at the back of the house. We had a lovely supper and to ‘wind down’ in our lovely new lounge room, we rested from all our work by watching two dvds in a row (and the boys made sure they were the best for testing the sound!!) At 11pm I was the first to leave and snuck in a kiss on Mike’s neck before he could wriggle away! - and said good night to them all. Our sleep had been deep all week and most mornings we weren’t waking till close on 8am. Mike was due to leave the house at 8:30am so by 8:10am Mark went to wake him. Mike was laying very comfortably in a typical teenage deep sleep position with his hands next to him on the pillow and one leg sticking out from under the duvet. He was so peacefully ‘asleep’ the only thing missing was the snore! His lips were white though and we knew it was too late. We called the emergency service and they instructed Mark on how to perform resuscitation. When the ambulance arrived they simply did there checks and told us what we already knew. The situation was so bazaar we knew, like Job, that God in His sovereignty had allowed it and like Job we ‘tore our robes’ and just submitted to the Sovereignty of the Creator. “The Lord give and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord”.