Fearne Cotton sits in, with Louise

From Sheridan Voysey, Writer and broadcaster:
Some days we wake to a world of clear skies and bright possibilities. Other days, it’s to thunder rattling our rooves! Several weeks ago my wife and I woke to the news that my father had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. To complicate matters, my dad is my mother’s full-time carer, and they live in Australia. With both parents now needing care, and us so far away, some stressful days followed. The plan was for Dad to have the tumour removed, then receive chemotherapy. 

We flew to Brisbane to support him. When Sunday came, we visited his church too—where a man named Helmut approached me. Helmut said he’d heard about our family’s situation, he wanted to help, and would soon be in touch. I wasn’t sure anything would come of it. Many promise help without following through. Two days later, Helmut visited my parent’s house with a notepad in hand. He’d written a list of tasks they might need help with. He said, “You’ll need some meals delivered after the operation—I’ll arrange a cooking roster. Then there’s your mowing—I can do that. And what day is your rubbish collected?” Down the list he went, sorting everything. 

Helmut is a retired truck driver who now spends his days helping the elderly, homeless, and others in need. I asked how this compassion developed, and he said it started when he became a Christian some years ago. His experience reminded me of something a philosopher once told me—that the greatest ‘proof’ of God’s existence isn’t the beauty of the world, or our innate sense of right and wrong, but the love that flows out from a person when God becomes the centre of their lives. Dad’s tumour was too large to safely remove. His chemotherapy was delayed too. 

After three weeks in Brisbane Dad told us to head home—we’d done all we could and Helmut was now there to help. We returned home still a little nervous, trusting Helmut to follow through when needed. Dad had his third round of chemo last week. Helmut drove him to the hospital, as he has each time. The lawns are mown. The fridge is full of meals. It feels like we’ve been touched by God through a truck driver’s hands.