Today, I write a tribute to a wonderful couple: Harry and Esther Grogan. A few of my readers know and love the Grogans, but for most, they are just a name. I want to introduce them to you, because they are well worth knowing. It’s my hope that hearing their testimony will encourage and inspire you, as we have been encouraged and inspired while watching their lives.
Harry and Esther embody a life of dedication: to each other, to family, to God, and to a way of living that’s worth emulating. Last week, I mentioned the song, “Find Us Faithful.” The chorus begins, “Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful. May the fire of our devotion light their way.” The Grogans represent those words in full living colour. On August 4th, Harry and Esther Grogan celebrated 70 years of marriage. What an amazing milestone! They are both 92 years of age. While I have known this remarkable pair for only the last decade, their life and friendship have been a blessing in ways that I am certain they don’t even realize.
I first admired Mr. & Mrs. Grogan from a distance. When we started serving in Mareeba back in 1999, I’m pretty sure some of the Grogan children who came to Sunday school on our van in those early years were related. I didn’t come to know the elders in this family until much later. When we finally met Harry and Esther, I learned a remarkable story that touched my heart deeply. God blessed this couple with three healthy children - Wayne, Cyril, and Sharon. At the age of 13, Cyril fell seriously ill. He suffered a seizure that left him profoundly disabled and requiring complete long‑term physical care for the rest of his life. Although Cyril needed 24-hour care, it was obvious to me that he was extremely loved and a true joy in their lives. From what I observed, the whole family pitched in, but Mrs. Grogan was the dedicated caregiver to her beloved Cyril until the Lord called him home at the age of 60, nearly 50 years later. Her devotion and sweet spirit are the marks of true Christianity and motherly love. She is a heroine to be emulated in a world that needs real heroes and examples. Giving without complaint, full of the joy of the Lord, and without resentment. They don’t make many like Esther these days. Having said that, their daughter Sharon is cut from the same cloth. I’ve watched her own dedication to her brother and then to her parents, while battling through her own grief and loss at Cyril’s passing and then through the unexpected loss of her husband. I ask the Lord often to bless and strengthen Sharon as she supports and cares for her mum and dad in their twilight years. Her faithfulness is a trait passed down from her mum, and precious to behold.
Mr. & Mrs. Grogan can’t get out as much as they used to for church, but every time they manage to make it, the whole church family lights up with joy to see them. They sing out their favourite hymns, praising Jesus and lifting our spirits as they do. When I think of Harry and Esther, one simple phrase comes to mind:
Found faithful. What greater testimony could any of us hope to leave behind? I wish you could meet this amazing couple. Most of you will have to wait till heaven for that, but I assure you, they are fine indeed! P.S. We may never know how many people are quietly watching our lives. Harry and Esther probably never imagined that simply loving God, loving each other, caring faithfully for their family, and continuing to praise the Lord would one day become an encouragement to people they have never even met. May the same be said of us. May we be found faithful.
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