Mrs Linda O’Neill

Today around 3pm we lost another family member, and eternity gained her.

Mrs Linda O’neill, my great aunt passed away in the Ulster Hospitals Intensive Care Department after spending her last few weeks being tended to by an amazing team of doctors and nurses, auxiliaries and domestics.

We are eternally grateful as an extended family, to each one of you on the medical team who chose to ensure her dignity was met, and that her health was the forefront of all that you did.

We are thankful that as she left this earth peacefully to travel into an immortal time, she did so with grace.

We thank you for serving her in illness onto death.

Linda was the closest I have ever gotten to the history of my maternal grandmother. She was a connection, she married Brendan and into the O’Neill family instantly becoming her sister in law. While they never had much contact, she knew of her. Now those stories with her legacy have gone.

Linda braved illness after illness, fighting what seemed to be such a long battle with health issues. We prayed and we sought God for her and for His will to be brought through in her life, but after her brother Michael passing away last week the family is in turmoil.

The new year has brought in pain and misery some could never bare to know nor voice. They could never explain the missing hole in their heart. Yet we, who are left here will pray and rally round and gather up love, gifts and provisions for them. The gap will never be fully whole but we pray that Gods hand of grace, of mercy would be visible in the lives of each child Linda has left behind. In the hearts of the extended family, and in the home where an empty seat that will now reside. We pray for Brendan, her love, her soul mate, her help mate. That God would be near him and around Him.

As we walk through our days with the shadow of death hanging over the hearts and homes connected with Linda we pray that God would be our shepherd. He would guide us to still waters in our souls, and refresh them to remember the beautiful moments we spent with this lady. The laughter, and love and joy that she spread so openly to us all. That God would be our rod and staff and that comfort would flow from the throne of God.

Rest In Peace Linda

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.