AUDREYS MUSICAL JOURNEY - PART FOUR: TURN, TURN, TURN After securing a senior vice-presidency position for a department store chain upon graduation from college and helping in the overthrow of a dictator that had suppressed an entire nation, it would probably be fair to wonder, Whats next? Such were the circumstances that my beloved wife, Audrey McDowell (who tragically passed away on 30 October 2014 after suffering a major stroke and brain hemorrhage a week earlier) found herself in throughout the remainder of the 1980s and into the 1990s. As we saw in the previous installment of Audreys Musical Journey, Audrey, her mother and her cousin were front and center participants in the People Power Revolt in Manila in 1986, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos from power. She then returned to her position in the corporate offices of a prominent department store chain. For a brief season after that, all was fairly well in Audreys world. Devoted to her career, she put in long hours and helped the company grow and prosper. In the meantime, she earned the respect and admiration of those in her employ, who praised her for her generosity and even-handedness. Many of them remained in touch with her years after she left the company. And speaking of leaving, back home in San Fernando, Pampanga, it was a different story. The post-Marcos economic woes were taking their toll on the Feliciano family. Audreys dad, Alfred had already emigrated to Southern California, where he stayed with his sister (Audreys Aunt Aileen) in search of the greener pastures that ultimately werent any easier for him to find there than they were back home. Nonetheless, Audreys mom Lita followed suit and joined her husband in Van Nuys, California, as did all five of Audreys brothers: Arnel, Alfred, Aaron, Adam and Arwin. But the ways of a business degree and a position of prestige were enough of a draw for Audrey to remain behind in Manila. As the 1990s dawned, Audrey stayed the course and plugged away at her corporate job. However, God had other plans. In the early months of the 1990s, many of Audreys friends and relatives found themselves experiencing first hand just what Jesus Christ meant when he said, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in (Revelation 3:20). Revival was well underway in Metro Manila, and before long, Jesus also came knocking at Audreys door. Audrey had been raised in an environment of Roman-based tradition, which did not resonate well with her at all. But when she actually heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, she answered the call and fully embraced Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Needless to say in an environment where tradition and jingoism are generally given a higher priority than the common good, Audreys salvation did not sit well with a number of people in her immediate circle. She found herself frequently taken to task for turning her back on tradition, all of which inspired her all the more (in true Apostle Paul-like fashion) to witness to all concerned. And witness she did, as her priorities began to shift from her career to Christ. But once again, God had other plans. By all accounts, that warm summer day in Van Nuys in the early part of August 1991 started out in a most nondescript manner. Audreys dad, Alfred was in the driveway, attempting to change a tire on his car. But as such things sometimes do, that endeavor was not progressing well. Alfred was getting frustrated at how such a seemingly simple task was causing him such aggravation. He had asked oldest son Arnel to bring him some tools, which he did. But almost immediately thereafter, Alfred noticed a severe headache coming on, and he went into the house to lie down for a while. Sadly, Audreys father never got to that point. He asked Arnel to call 911, and within minutes he was being rushed to the hospital in a semi-conscious state. In the meantime, Audreys Aunt Aileen phoned Audrey back in Manila and told her, Your father is in the emergency ward. Get out here right now!! So suddenly, and very much out of sync with what Audrey had assumed were her long range plans, Audrey found herself hastily packing a suitcase and joining her family in Southern California. So hectic were her preparations that Audrey left Manila without money, and had to rely on the kindness of strangers for provisions throughout the long and obviously stressful flight. When Audrey arrived at Los Angeles International Airport in Westchester, her family was there to meet her with some tragic news. Their father had suffered a major stroke and lapsed into a coma, finally passing away while Audrey was en route on the airplane. A stranger in a new land, Audrey was suddenly faced with the reality of the world she knew being ripped right out from under her. On top of that, she now had to bid farewell to her beloved father, who was only 62 at the time of his passing. As always, when a loved one passes on within their large and extended family, those closest to the loved one participate in the loved ones home going in variety of ways. As a most enthusiastic baby Christian, for Audrey, the only possible tribute that she could pay to her father was to read Scripture at his memorial service. For some time, Audrey prayed about it and perused Scripture, looking for the right passage that would best convey her feelings about her father. But again, she found herself pondering the What if question, and how she would have shared her new found faith in greater detail with her father had circumstances been different. But almost inevitably, one particular passage leaped out at her, and Audrey was convinced that it was the most appropriate Scripture to read during the memorial service. In 1965, Almanac Singers / Weavers co-founder and folk rock visionary Pete Seeger set the words of Ecclesiastes 3 to music. In October of that year, a folk/garage rock cover of Seegers Biblically-inspired composition was released by the Byrds on Columbia Records as Turn, Turn, Turn. The Byrds rendition of Turn, Turn, Turn had long resonated well with Audrey, and its message of To everything there is a season fit the bill for her fathers eulogy perfectly. Ironically, it was a passage that would eventually come full circle for her, as well. Despite those tragic August 1991 circumstances, Audreys future in Southern California was to be a bright one, as we will discover in Part Five of Audreys Musical Journey, coming soon. In the meantime, here is a classic clip of the Byrds on stage, reprising their monster classic, Ecclesiastes 3-inspired single, Turn, Turn, Turn: https://youtube/watch?v=pX6SuX0Z6AQ
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 03:07:46 +0000
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