We鈥檝e just celebrated Canada Day, the 150th birthday of the country I call home. The longer I live and the more chaotic our world becomes, the more I thank God for our nation but I鈥檇 also like to share some personal reasons for taking note of this July 1st.
In just four months it will be a quarter century since I was diagnosed with cancer. Over the course of those months I underwent surgery, then completed 54 chemo and/or radiation treatments. It wasn鈥檛 easy and the future was tentative at that point but I shall never cease to be thankful for family, friends and medical staff who prescribed, administered, supervised and encouraged me. Not only have twenty-five years been added to my life, I鈥檝e been blessed by wonderful sons, daughters-in-law and I鈥檝e watched two granddaughters grow up and graduate with university degrees. I now have the joy of sharing precious times with a third, much younger granddaughter.
Just two years ago another significant event took place in my life. I鈥檇 allowed myself to become overweight, well obese to be exact, and because my writing career kept me in a computer chair too many hours a day, my level of physical fitness was at nil. I began a strict walking regime on July 1, 2015 with the result that I鈥檓 now slim, trim and fit as a fiddle, albeit an aging fiddle.
The recent suicide of a 27 year old neighbour, a medical professional, has shaken me to the core and made me realize that as tough as life can be at times, it鈥檚 a gift to be cherished. Living with purpose makes the difference; living for Christ provides that purpose.
鈥淚n all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.鈥�
This is my story but of far greater importance, what鈥檚 yours?
