Apart from birthdays and Christmas, we are not really good at celebrations. Even birthdays seem to pass by with only short reference to what it represents! So this week’s celebration of our retirement took on special meaning. It would have been easy to say that’s it, we are done, time to move on. But I felt like the beginning of our officership took on more celebration than the conclusion. And why do we gather so many, in our case thousands, to watch our commissioning and appointment, when in the end it is just a few who are there to say thank you.

Wendy and I both had responsible jobs before we were officers and we would have bought a home in Mississauga and raised a family there if we did not feel called to leave that all behind.

So I wanted to celebrate our faithfulness to our calling and God’s faithfulness to us. We were really grateful to Floyd and Tracey for coming, despite the challenges for them, to be with us. We’ve known them for 36 years and worked with or alongside each other for much of that time.

I also wanted to remind our congregation that from our corps come our leaders. Unless parents and grandparents are willing to encourage their kids to consider ministry as an honourable spending of one’s life, then we will not have leaders. Lastly, I wanted to remind myself, as much as anyone else, that the work that God has done in my life began as a child has carried on. Children are not above being blessed and guided by God – he is not limited by their youthful minds and hearts. In fact He very much loves and cares for children. And what God did when I was seven years of age is still a work that continues! I am still in need of surrender daily to His will.

We do not give children enough of our attention in the church – we seem to want to wait until they are teenagers…and the forming of character begins so much earlier.

We loved having our family together and on Saturday we had a lovely dinner with a number of friends and some family! Lamb, chicken, roasted potatoes, rice, salad…. it was delicious and some terrific desserts too!

And I must pay tribute to Wendy, my ministry partner all these years. She’s been caring, wise and creative! I will never forget her ministry to teen girls in Erin Mills and how these young girls came to discover with her how to be respectful of others and care for themselves. That program alone exhibited her interest in young people – but down through the years, she’s been an effective Sunday school teacher, an inspiring leader of women, an effective finance manager in the corps, an able problem solver, and a great encouragement to me. We have been a team in many ways even when we were not working directly with each other.

I did manage to get a shout-out to my Mom – and was so happy that my sister Cath, her husband Terry and Noah, and Laura were watching on line. Our family has been such a great encouragement all these years. I so wish we could live closer together!! This is a picture Cath sent from their big screen as they watched the service.

Down through the years, I have tried in my life to live up to the answer to the question of the prophet Micah – what does the Lord require of you? And here is my aim – to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly!

And finally, to say, God has been faithful. He’s provided what we needed when we needed it. He has never allowed us to feel alone or without His Spirit. We have struggled, we have been far less than perfect, we have certainly not always been all that we could be but He has always been with us.