Bishop Kathy Kiuna on Finding Strength and Remaining Active in Church After the Passing of Her Husband, Bishop Allan Kiuna.
During a recent JCC service, Kathy shared her reasons for being so active in church despite her husband’s death.
Kathy explained that people kept asking her how she was feeling, but deep down she wished they wouldn’t because her emotions were all over the place.
“They keep asking how I am feeling. I’m like, ‘God!… Please don’t ask, because you don’t want the answer.’ I’m all over the place,” she said.
She shared that some days she accepted her husband was gone, while on other days, she struggled to believe it. She asked everyone to allow her emotions to be all over the place.
“Today I believe, then tomorrow I’m like, how? Today I walk into church, look at the amazing pictures of this hunk of a man, and I’m like, baby, how? Why? Please just allow me to be all over the place.”
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Kathy’s Call for Understanding
Kathy emphasized that everyone grieves differently, but despite everything, she remained strong and asked people to understand her.
“I’m the type to think about a lot of things. Right now, I might want to lock myself up, but I’m not that type. Today I can lock myself up and cry all day, but I will still rise up and try again. People do it differently. I’m in, out; I’m all over the place. Just understand
The mother of three acknowledged that the church was also grieving, and she didn’t want to just sit there but instead she wanted all of them to grieve together as a church.
The mother of three acknowledged that the church was also grieving, and she didn’t want to just sit there. Instead, she wanted them all to grieve together as a church.
“We have JCC church, and so all of us are grieving. I don’t want to sit back and let everybody grieve just like that. I have to be here. We have to walk the journey together.” Kathy added.
Kathy promises to her husband.
On July 17, at JCC Paradise, Bishop Kathy made a promise to her late husband. As she acknowledged that he had raised her well and saw her potential in preaching, even when she didn’t see it herself.
“I want to make a promise to you, baby. Honey, you raised me well. I did not even know I could preach, but you saw it, honey. And you said, ‘You can do this.’ You called it out. And I have been doing that with you urging me every step of the way,” she said.
The mother of three vowed to uphold and continue their shared vision and mission. As a result, she promised to ensure that their work would live on.
“Look what the Lord has done. I just want to tell you, honey, we will make you proud. That he who began the good work in us is faithful to complete it… We will make you proud, honey,” she declared.