Hello friends. It is so good to be back, and to again being able to submit to the Faith page of the New Glasgow News. To begin, I extend my sincere thanks to the editor for the space, and to those of you who can begin to read these once more. I have missed sharing messages of encouragement these past number of months. For me, I believe the temporary disruption of our lives was merely an opportunity from God to reset. I must admit that for a time, God’s voice was being muted by the despair of the last year. The static of chaos in our world was, in itself, deafening. Yet God remained faithful to His children.
Personally, I can admit that I too began to become lukewarm,
yet never cooling off from God’s word. The immediate uncertainties of the past
year forced me to stop and re-evaluate the things that are truly the most
valuable in my life. I realized how much I missed gathering for weekly church
service. I miss the wonderful people who are my faith family. I miss the
elderly residents at Shiretown Nursing home, to whom we would sing to every
month. I miss our family supper’s at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I
miss the freedom of sitting in a crowded restaurant listening to the sound of
other people. I miss not being afraid of another human in a checkout line. I
miss going to a concert, or movie theater. Like all of you, I miss the good
things we all took for granted.
What I was given was even greater. I was given time,
precious time. Time with my wife, at my cottage on a lake. I was given no lost
time by my employer. I was given time to clear the world’s static, so I could
hear God’s whispers. He gave me time to think of what His plan for me might be,
Jeremiah 29:11. He gave me time to look up, ask for help, and wait for an
answer, any answer. Psalm 121. He gave me time to hone some carpentry skills.
He gave me time to rest a weary mind and body. He never gave me more time, just
enough of the quiet to appreciate His gifts and grace.
Even now, as we cannot gather for church as usual, He has
made a way, where there seemed to be no way. Our Pastor now video records a
weekly sermon that reaches across Canada, and also writes a weekly message in
print. Dr. Barclay gives us something to think about in print, and also records
a weekly Bible study. Peter MacLaren gives us Peter’s Picks, a scripture to
read for each day of the week. Our good friend Pastor Todd MacDonald in Sundrie
Alberta sends us his written message weekly. Covid-19 arrived, and will be
gone, yet Christ was here and will always be here. The world stopped turning
for a bit, but God’s church is alive and well and is not going anywhere. It is
alive and well, and thriving.
I encourage each and every one of you to receive and believe
that better days are coming and coming fast. If you are reading this, then you
are alive and well. Give thanks today that God has placed you in a safe place.
Thank him, for Nova Scotia and the low numbers of illness and infections. Thank
Him for the credible leadership from health authorities thus far. Nothing is
perfect here, and we had a tough year. But compared to many parts of the world,
we are in paradise. I was reminded a while ago from my friend Dr. Spencer
Barclay, that if our ancestors had the intestinal fortitude to endure six years
of world war in the 1940’s then surely we can put up with orderly lines and
face masks for a year or two.
My friends, life is good, hope is gold, fear is false, and
tomorrow will be better. Breathe, even through your mask, see using your eyes
and your heart, and believe with your soul that God’s got this. Enjoy your
days, as we have some great ones coming.
Mike Shindruk
Master’s Hand Ministry
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