Yearly Archives: 2007

You begin to feel that a trinity of events is sufficient cause to wonder!

On Saturday we attended the funeral of one of my aunts — the first one of my father’s siblings to pass away.  Clara May always had a twinkle in her eye and provided fun with responsibility. 

On Sunday we learned that a cousin of mine, Harvey Somerville had died in a diving accident.  The funeral will be this Saturday morning in Eatonia.

Then tonight I found out that another friend of ours, Lillian Szmutko, had passed away today.  Almost thirty years ago we had been a part of a small group that met together.  An old church building provided the setting, and we even tried out a pump organ for singing.  Mike and Lil were very gracious people who lived generous lives with few resources!  What a gracious example of Christian charity and character.

So, we are now considering a four day event — our Pastor’s prayer retreat — that was to happen next week.  The event will happen, our question is whether we will be able to go.  God knows the plans that we lay — but our times are in His hands.

Busyness!  That’s been the order of the day, or should I say days.

As we descended on Delisle on Saturday we met . . . a charter member of our church (which celebrates 70 years in 2008) . . . cousins and nephews and neices (one of whom Jill had never met in over 30 years!) . . . my father’s siblings who combine brains, laughs and deep relationships.

Today we were at a church service with new and newer faces.  I preached on Acts 12 — God is in it all . . . including miracles and the ordinary.   After a soup lunch with friends we headed to Rosetown.  My parents are staying at my sisters.  We chatted about the past, ate another soup meal and headed back by 9:00 in the evening.

If time is relative to activity we squeezed a lot into a few hours.  God is good and has granted us this time with others.  Some we may see again, others not.  In God’s timing the moments are indelibly now a part of our history and our lives.

It’s around 8:00 and we are headed to Delisle.

Hairblowers have fashioned our hair, our shoes are polished and the shower has us perfumed for the day.  We’ll meet lots of relatives, enjoy the fellowship and celebrate a life well lived.

Jill, my wife, mentioned this morning that Clara May died well.  When she heard she had cancer she accepted this as God’s plan for the time.  She headed to Ontario to visit her siblings.  Others came to her and she greeted them with that well known twinkle in her eye.  Her passing was merely to another place with richer colors and greater singing.

I celebrate a life well lived and a death claimed in Jesus name!!

We try to visit as much as possible.

Years back I struggled with just being with people without a “productive angle”.  You know —  trying to get people to take on a job, provide some money, help make things happen.  Don’t get me wrong, that is still part of life and ministry — when done with love and compassion there is no reason to denigrate that type of visit.

Lately, I just like to head out to be with people because I like to be with people.  We talk, drink coffee (oops, hot chocolate!), and pass the hours in each other’s company.

Nevertheless, I still have a need to take a little time away.  That means I’ll stretch out on the couch tonight.  We’ll eat some hotdogs in wraps with beans, and watch a video.  We’ll head to bed early since we are off to a funeral and to visit someone in hospital in Saskatoon tomorrow.

But for tonight — alone again, naturally!!