The taits

On that first day at the North Parish, Gordon introduced me to the Tait Family

If ever I met a man who was a shining example of an elder it was Bill Tait.  I loved him and his family and was very upset by his death.

Jean tait sang in the choir, and when I joined OM, she was one of my supporters.  She was a headmistress at a primary School

Bill and Jean had three children, Beth, Pat and Graham. 

Trajedy hit the family.  Beth was about the same age as me and she went to University.  While there, somehow she fell off a balcony and was severely injured and put on a life support machine.  One day Bill and Jean had to make the decision that I am sure they were hoping they would never have to make.  They gave permission to switch the machine off. No parent expects to see the death of their child, especially when she is only 18 years old.  I expect Bill and Jean had a lot of private issues to work through, but they never cursed God.  They never lost faith. Indeed they were an outstanding example to me of faithfulness in all circumstances.  They could say with Job, "Thou he slay me, yet will I trust him"

Not only were they faithful, Bill went on to become an auxilliary minister.  Only a few days ago, I was looking at a booklet written by Gordon and Bill had supported the writing of it.  His name is written inside the cover and I cannot look at it without remembering and treasuring the years I had with Bill and Jean.  In his providence God brought them into my life when I needed faithful older christians.

I said that it was Agnes Whiteford who invited me to the prayer meeting. If she invited me it was Bill and Jean and people like them who kept me going.  They regularly attended the prayer meeting. Prayer was foremost in their lives and I think it made them the Godly people they were.

I loved them, and when I am in the North Parish these days, there seems to be a gap that has never been filled.  Bill and Jean are now with the lord.  The choir in the North parish does not look right to me without Jean.