June 19, 2020This week is a special one in our family, as we celebrate Karen’s birthday tomorrow. The day after is Father’s Day, which is also the date that Karen’s parents were married. This year the dates are on the same day of the week as in the year that Karen was born. That year, Clarence Shelly became a father on Saturday and was honoured the next day!
I thank the Lord for leading me to meet and fall in love with Karen. She was born in St. Thomas, Ontario and moved with her parents to France when she was five months old. Growing up as the child of missionaries, Karen learned from an early age that people need the Lord. She, her mother, and two sisters enjoyed a ministry of music that blessed many people. One of my favourite songs of the Shelly family is “People Need the Lord.”
It was after an evening of music in December 1980 that I helped my future father-in-law carry equipment to his van and began to realize that I needed to get to know his oldest daughter. Nearly forty years later, I am still discovering wonderful things about Karen, including her skill at managing renovation projects.
For those of you who are wondering if we finished replacing the rotted pieces of our deck, the answer is “Yes” and we are thankful for all the people who have been praying for us. We have used muscles that had not been used for a while (probably a long while) and are sore, but are glad with the “new look.” We are also grateful for power tools. While using an electric drill, I thought of how large Noah’s arms must have been, as he worked for many years to build the ark that would protect him, his wife and family from the coming flood.
We live in a world that is experiencing a worldwide pandemic that has caused the deaths of many people. As the late radio host Paul Harvey used to say: “And now for the rest of the story …” there is coming a time that will make the current crisis pale in comparison. Like Noah, believers in Christ stand as lights in a world made dark by sin. The last book of the Bible – Revelation – describes the awful destruction that will occur before the Lord Jesus reigns on Earth for a thousand years. Praise God that He loves us so much that He forgives our sins when we repent and place our trust in the One who died on the cross of Calvary and rose triumphantly three days later!
Scripture for the weekend: “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “The revelation John received reminds the church of every age that Jesus Christ is Lord of all; that He will be the ultimate victor over the devil and his representatives; and that Christ’s triumph over death at the resurrection ensured that death will have no power over those who belong to Him. Regardless of what comes upon the earth in terms of tests and trials, the Christian knows the final outcome: all things lead to Christ’s eternal kingdom.” – Dr. David Jeremiah (from his Study Bible)