Messages of Hope
Real stories. Real hope.
When love is supposed to be forever, how does it survive through illness and death?
‘There’ll be swings and roundabouts. You’ll be, oh, you’re going fine, you know, and then suddenly you won’t.’
Listen to the enduring love story of Cheryl and Trevor. Hear Cheryl share the challenge of working through Trevor’s illness and how she found hope through the loss of a life-time love.
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Key takeaways from this episode
Cheryl and Trevor’s love story spanned decades. They met in 1966, married in 1968, and shared a deep bond built on music, faith, and serving their community together.
Trevor followed a calling to become a pastor. Leaving farming behind, Trevor embraced ministry, connecting with people in crisis and offering practical support, particularly to rural communities facing hardship.
Trevor was deeply compassionate and creative. He sought to make church meaningful and personal, engaging with people through innovative services and community involvement.
Trevor’s illness brought profound challenges. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s and later Alzheimer’s, his slow decline was emotionally difficult, especially as he sometimes no longer recognised Cheryl.
Music created powerful moments of connection. Even near the end, singing “Amazing Grace” together became a deeply significant and comforting experience for Cheryl.
Grief brought loneliness but also resilience. Cheryl found healing through counselling, acknowledging her grief, and leaning on her faith. She learnt she could live on her own with God as her constant companion.
Faith provided hope and strength. Bible verses like “Be still and know that I am God” gave Cheryl comfort. She encouraged others to trust God, allow themselves to grieve, and believe that hope remains even after great loss.
Episode transcript
Click to view PDF transcript
Related booklet
‘In all the ways we deal with grief, in all the advice and encouragement we dispense about getting on with life past the loss of a person dear to us – in all these attempts at consolation – we must honour our internal pain. It stands as the natural grief that is generated when we lose by death someone of special significance or importance to us.’
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