Author: Paul Silcock

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Life is a Buffet

Recently Lily and I celebrated our anniversary by going to a dinner theatre. The play was secondary; I was thinking more about the buffet and what I would be eating than what I would be watching.

The food was okay.  At a buffet it’s the volume that really matters … and there was volume!  I noticed some people piled the food on their plates as if it was their last meal.  Others went back for one or two more rounds.  Being a little conscious of what I’m eating these days, I kept my plate portions to a respectable side, but did visit the buffet more than once.

I find it amazing that if I had just ordered a plate of food, I would have been satisfied.  But because I can go back for more, something inside me says, “you’re still hungry, get back up there and get another plate”.  Or possibly it’s my wallet that speaks to me saying, “you’re paying $X for this meal; make sure the theatre isn’t making any money off of you … make them pay!”  It’s a crazy attitude to have, but somehow it pops into my head at the thought of a buffet.

A second plate wouldn’t have been that bad, but there was a dessert area that had not escaped my notice the two times I had been in the buffet line.  In fact, by the time I was ready for dessert I had already pictured what my dessert plate(s) would be filled with. Did I mention I had two runs at that line as well?

I had to visit the desserts again.  It wasn’t that I really wanted to; it was more that after my first plate I didn’t save anything to nibble on during the performance.  That, and there were still some things that I had noticed that I wasn’t able to fit on my first plate.

When I got to the line for round two, it was long.  It seemed I wasn’t the only one with an idea of having a plate full of goodies to carry me through the production (as if I might get a little peckish if I didn’t!).  I noticed some people taking dinner sized plates to put their desserts on, and I thought, “that’s not right”, but when I got close to the desserts something overtook me and I grabbed a large plate too.  It didn’t look right with just a few things on it so I had to put enough on the plate to make it look, well … uh … full.

When I got back to our table, I told Lily that some of it was for her, but she wasn’t interested in much, so it was left to me to finish.  I didn’t do a bad job; I kept at it right through the play.  And when it was all over, I waddled out of the theatre, like everyone else.  Oh, and the play was not bad either; it was a musical.

Here’s the thing:  in life we can fill our time – our daily plate – so full that when we get to the main attraction (the main reason we’re really here) that becomes secondary. You see, God has put us here to glorify Him and enjoy Him, and often we are so busy filling ourselves up with all kinds of goodies, that the production we came to be part of becomes an after thought.  I need to put more time and effort into the main thing, more focus on what I am here for.  Maybe if I did, I wouldn’t feel liking I’m waddling around in this life.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  What are you gorging yourself on that is taking way from your main purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him?  Leave your comment below.

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We Should Be Amazed

This week I am away on my yearly planning/prayer/study retreat. In place of my blog we have a guest blog from Dr. Munier Nour.  Munier works in pediatrics in Calgary, he is husband to Mary, and father to Elias and their newest edition James.

 

“Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” ― C.S. Lewis

Working in pediatrics, I have the privilege of working with families during some of the most delicate times in their lives – times things don’t go as planned. Recently, I’ve had close interactions with a family whose baby did not develop properly in utero. The birth of their child coincided very closely with the birth of our second son, James. As I interacted with them, I ached with the knowledge that I had a healthy, perfectly formed newborn – something they so longed for.

Outside of clinic, my summer has been filled with studying for my final clinical exam in September. I once again find myself burdened by uncomfortably large text books and a steady supply of caffeine. I often find myself frustrated that during the beautiful weather of summer my skin is warmed by florescent lights rather than the sun. I tend to resent the material I am studying, rather than be amazed.

Occasionally, though, it hits me. Did you know at least four hormones manufactured in six different sites keep your blood calcium tightly in balance? If your calcium level gets too high you’ll develop kidney stones, too low and you’ll have a seizure. Your cells have a complex mechanism to sense when to make more hormones. Each hormone is manufactured following a precise blueprint in your DNA then carried through your bloodstream until it finds the precise receptor. These hormones keep your calcium at just the right level – not too high, not too low. Calcium is just one of hundreds of minerals and compounds the body tightly regulates.

Even despite whole volumes written on hundreds of the body’s mysteries, a similar phrase continues to pop up in my textbooks: “This process is not fully understood” or “the mechanism is not yet known”. It seems strangely similar to what Paul wrote: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish…The foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. (1Cor 1:19-20,25)

Even as I write this blog entry, the above hormones are at work, not to mention countless other behind the scenes actions of my body. My heart is pumping 74 gallons of blood in an hour, my nerves are sending near instantaneous signals between my brain and fingers, while my lungs exchange gases to keep me alive. Again, each process an infinitely complex miracle – yet simply taken for granted.

I am thankful to be given a chance to explore a bit deeper the mysteries of the human body and use that knowledge to help others. It is a unique chance to daily see the ways in which His creation declares the glory of God.

As I enjoy watching James grow before my eyes I am reminded of God’s grace and goodness. To see God’s perfect design unfolding as James grows and develops. His eyes now recognize familiar faces and light up with recognition and adorable smiles… nothing short of a miracle.

You have made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!        Psalms 139:13-17

Question:  What do you take for granted, that you should worship God for?  Leave your comment below.

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Don’t Let the Sun Go Down

It is interesting to me that every night people gather at the lake to look out and watch the sun go down. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like, if it’s cloudy, or even stormy.  They still show up at the beach, and gather like droids.  I know, because I’ve done it.

People line the beach with their lawn chairs, cameras, and video recorders.  They sit in the sand or just stand and stare as this orangey red ball slowly sinks below the horizon.

They’re mesmerized by a sight that happens every day.

It’s the same thing, you know – the sun always goes down.  You can count on it; it never does anything different.  It doesn’t’ go back a bit or stop and leave everyone in suspense like it did in the Bible once.  No, it does the same thing every night: it goes down and drops below the horizon.  Yet people come every night to see it happen, almost as if it wouldn’t happen if they didn’t come.

People don’t just do this at Sauble Beach (though it is pretty phenomenal there).  People do it everywhere, by oceans, lakes, mountains, even on cruise ships.  People stop and just watch, sometimes in silence, gazing at the sight.

The thing that is different, the thing that keeps people coming back each night is the sky.  On a clear night with no clouds, the sky is colourful.  But when you add a little bit of cloud – wow! – the sun does an amazing job of painting the sky in incredible colours and shades.  It’s like there’s a new canvas every night.

I personally have probably over a hundred pictures of sunsets at Sauble Beach.  I’ll take several every time because the colours, and the painting created on the canvas of the sky, changes moment by moment.  Even though there is a new picture every night, for some reason I, and many others, feel the need to capture the one we’re looking at so we can view it again and again.

Some people don’t care about capturing it.  They just take it in, are fascinated by the sky and then satisfied that it will be different and just as spectacular the next night.  Some people dream as they stare at it, while others get all romantic and want to hold hands (Lily).  Some linger and others turn and walk away, occasionally looking over their shoulder towards the sky and horizon.

Here’s the thing:  Every day we have opportunities to gaze upon what God has created, and appreciate it, think about it, dwell on it and acknowledge where it came from.  But how often do we take a moment to go beyond the beauty that we see to give a nod to God for it, to respond to Him for the million dollar painting before our eyes?  After all, the painter is the one with all the talent; the painting is just his creation.  I want to be a little more responsive to God and His paintings from now on.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: What grabs your attention, causing you to acknowledge God’s creativity in the world?  Leave your comment below.

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Mmm … That Smells So Good!

Today’s entry is a guest blog from my wife, Lily.  She does all the editing for my blogs and  awhile ago she was inspired to write one of her own.

I just love the smell of coffee!  There’s nothing quite like it.  It’s one of those aromas that’s comforting.  A house always seems cozier when you smell coffee brewing.  For some, when you wake up in the morning and smell the coffee, somehow you feel more awake, and everything seems like it’s going to be ok.  Or when you come in from a bitter February winter storm and smell coffee, you immediately start to relax and warm up … even before you get your first sip!

In fact, I like the smell of coffee so much that when I saw some coffee decorating ideas on Pinterest, I just had to try them.  I now have coffee beans in some of my candleholders, constantly emitting that delicious subtle aroma of coffee in our living room.

The other day I went to Tim’s to meet a friend.  We get together occasionally to chat and catch up on each other’s lives.  We choose to meet at Tim’s not because we’re both coffee addicts, but because it’s close and convenient for both of us.  As a matter of fact, my friend usually orders a tea, and, although I like coffee, I could honestly take or leave it.  Actually, this particular time, because I walked there, I was way too hot to drink coffee.  I ordered a water.

We enjoyed a great visit and then headed home.  As soon as I got in the door, I went to my office to check phone messages and email.  As I sat at my desk, I was suddenly aware of a wonderful aroma.  I started sniffing around … I smelled coffee!  How strange since I hadn’t made coffee in the house for a few days, and there were certainly no coffee bean filled candleholders on my desk.  I kept sniffing around perplexed.

And then it dawned on me.  The aroma of coffee was coming from me!  My clothes, my hair, and even my skin smelled like coffee.  After sitting in Tim Horton’s for almost two hours, I had obviously absorbed that coffee aroma.

That got me thinking.  Do I spend enough time with Jesus that His aroma is left on me?  Can my friends get a whiff of Jesus when they’re around me? … or do they just smell me?  Lately I have to wonder.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily grind, in the stress of doing life that I, too often, cut short my time with God … or crowd it out all together.  And then what’s left? – just me … just me and my busyness, or impatience, or agenda, or preoccupation with various people or things.  If I haven’t been in Jesus’ presence, how can His aroma, His fragrance, His character be transferred to me?

Just like grabbing a coffee via the drive through won’t leave the aroma of coffee on me, I’ve got to stop trying to pick up Jesus by a quick drive through.  If I want to be like Him, have His fragrance on me, then I have to park myself and spend some time with Him … maybe over a coffee!

Take care and smell good!

Lily

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Living in Transition

I was thinking the other day that I’m not really living my life; I’m waiting in transition.  It’s not that I don’t feel settled in my home, work, or my relationships.  No, they’re all good.  But I still feel like I’m in transition.  And then it dawned on me, it’s my kids’ fault!

I’ve always been great at blaming my kids for things that have gone missing or stopped working, like when I couldn’t find the remote control, or when the car broke down just after they drove it.  However, blaming my kids for me feeling like I’m in transition takes me to a new level.

It all started in my devotions.  I was praying for my kids when I started to think about what I was praying for.  Basically, it was that they would get through this time in their lives and get settled in careers and all that goes with that.

Both my kids are in their twenties and I’m discovering that waiting for your kids to emerge out of this preparation stage of life takes way too long.  I never felt this way when Karlie and Mike were little, or in elementary school; I didn’t even feel this way when they were in high school.  But now, let’s get on with life already!  They have me feeling like I’m in transition, waiting for them to move into something more permanent, more settled.

I know that one day I’ll look back on this time and think it wasn’t very long …  although if my son stays in school as long as I did, it will be like forever!

Somehow I have to get through this and, as I was thinking about it, it dawned on me that they don’t necessarily feel like they’re in transition. They are just living life as it comes day by day.  So what I need to do is enjoy this stage of their lives and not try to impatiently endure it.

I’ve always enjoyed the other stages of their lives – except maybe teaching them to drive a manual transmission (that poor Honda Civic).  I need to embrace this stage as well, even though to me it seems like a transition stage and life will start when they are done it.  I prayed that God would help me live life with them and not get ahead of them.

Here’s the thing:  the verse in my devotions was Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”(NIV)

How God does all that (instruct, teach, counsel) is secondary to what He is saying about me in this verse.  He desires to patiently care for me; He’s concerned for me; He has high hopes for me.  God is not feeling like I’m in transition and wishing me quickly on to the next stage.  God is with me where I’m at, patiently caring, concerned, and with high hopes for me … at this stage right now.

That’s a good attitude to have with my kids as well.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  How can you model God’s outlook and actions with those you’re in relationship with?

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A Strong Foundation

I am on vacation at this time and while I am beaching it up I will have guest blogs once a week. Today’s blog is from Christine Benoit, who is a business owner and mother of two.

Before falling deeply in love, having two children, becoming a military wife and moving to Kingston Ontario, I had the great pleasure of growing up by Nova Scotia’s lush South Shore coast line.

The rich memories of having sunny days at the beach, countless hours of hunting for sand dollars and beach glass, and watching breathtaking sunsets are just a few things I think on often.  However my fondest memories have me reflecting on the church I grew up in, Pleasantville United Baptist Church.

The community of my youth is called Pleasantville and the church there had, and still today has, a fantastic children’s ministry.  Among the children’s ministry are the usual programs like Awana, VBS (Vacation Bible School), church camp, youth group and so on and so forth.  Needless to say it was/is a great way to teach kids about Jesus while having loads of fun.  I’ve always been so thankful for that ministry and its bearing on my life.  And today I’m thankful that it now has a bearing on my children’s lives.

Many of the people that served at Pleasantville Baptist Church are still there to this day, offering themselves to the little community of Pleasantville with a great desire to see today’s youth impacted for the Kingdom of God.  Always ready with a joke and a smile, they are just great people all around.

As many of you know, my kiddies, (Gabriel and Renee) get to spend a month with my parents in Nova Scotia every July.  This year is a bit different for them.  For one reason or another in years prior we were unable to put the kids in the VBS week at the PB church, activities or something always got in the way.  However this year, was the first year they were able to attend.

My children have jumped into the VBS program full force and wake up every morning asking “can we go to VBS yet Nanny??”  Nothing makes me happier then knowing my children are consistently learning about God’s character as well as the living Word.

To this day it surprises me the things I can recall from VBS and Awana.    So I know that my kids will feel the same way in the future.  It’s such a blessing to have been steeped in rich biblical teaching at such a young age.

As a parent you wonder all the time what your kids will grow up to be like, and the major component to that thought pattern is the health of their Christian faith.

I know the foundation I had growing up has made a deep impact on my spiritual life.   I will hold on to that foundation with purpose and intent in order to carry on a generational love and desire to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30 (ESV)

The programs we offer at KAC (Kingston Alliance Church) are affecting lives of youth more then we’ll ever know, and this is a great support for parents.  Having a church that offers such strong programs outside the home that reinforce the biblical principles and Godly values you teach there is an invaluable alliance, one I’m so pleased to have.

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (ESV)

Question: How do you ensure you are passing on important truths to others? Leave your comment below.

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Home Repairs and Me Don’t Mix

Do you ever have one of those days where everything just falls into place?  Even when the odds are against you, things still happen easily without a hitch.  That doesn’t happen to me often, but it did the other day.

It all started with me having to fix the skylight on my cottage (trailer).  If you know me, you know words like “easy”, “smooth”, “without a hitch”, “cinch”, “piece of cake” would not be column headings on “Jeopardy” if I was a contestant.  These would not be categories I am an expert in.

When I have to fix something it might involve me cutting myself, throwing a tool, or shouting something unintelligible in frustration.  But not yesterday!

We had a leak around the skylight on our trailer.  Last fall we shingled the roof and when we came back in the spring we noticed some water marks by the skylight.  When I went on the roof and checked, everything looked pretty good, so I put some more caulking in a few spots and hoped that would do it.

But last week when we had some rain, I noticed it was damp around that skylight again.  I put it off a few days, saying that it was just too hot and I didn’t want to mark up the shingles by walking on the roof.  Really it was an excuse because I just didn’t want to tackle the project.

Mention the words “skylight” and “moisture” and most people will make a face, shake their heads and mutter something like “good luck”.  But that was the job and I needed to get it done.  In some ways it was a good day for the job – there was a nice breeze, it was overcast, and not hot.  But it looked like it could rain at any moment.

This was one of those projects you don’t necessarily know what you’re getting into, you just start and see where it takes you.  I took off the silicone caulking with ease, which was pretty amazing.  Then I unscrewed the screws holding the skylight to the frame without a hitch.

Then I got my brother involved and we went to the hardware store for supplies.  I went directly to the help desk (something I don’t normally do), told the guy what I needed and quickly got personal assistance finding everything on my list – it was so smooth.

We got back on the roof, placed putty around the frame and then screwed the skylight to it – it was a cinch.  The silicone would be a problem though.  I’ve worked with it before and, along with making a mess of things, I’ve been known to be peeling bits of silicone off body parts for days afterward.

But not this time!  My brother showed me a secret (I’d have to kill you if I told you) and we put that silicone on so well, mess free, and quickly – it was a piece of cake.

And then the sky that was threatening rain, never did the rest of the day – how awesome is that?

So I was wondering why this project went so well . . . Oh, did I mention my wife Lily prayed with me before I began that God would help me, that it would be an easy job for me? . . .  there’s an idea for the next project.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: At what point in a project do you find yourself praying?  Leave your comments below.

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When it Rains it Pours

I am on vacation at this time and while I am beaching it up I will have guest blogs once a week. Today’s blog is from Adrian Greyling who is a financial planner,  husband to Shawna, and father to Leah, Ian and Avery.

As a family, we enjoy camping, and got the opportunity to do so recently.  Although Shawna took care of 99% of the packing, it’s my responsibility (mostly) to get it all in the van (or into the pop-up trailer we drag around).  Since our office closes at 1:00pm on Fridays over the course of the summer, we had the opportunity to make our way to Presqu’ile Park a little bit earlier.  After getting home from the office nice and early, I set a (very arbitrary) deadline of 2:30pm to be on the road.  Of course we missed that deadline by about half an hour, but it was an arbitrary deadline anyway, and if traffic wasn’t too bad, we’d still hit the campground with plenty of time to set up and get dinner underway.

Barreling down the 401, I had a revelation.  Nope, not the good kind either…  After Shawna and I were discussing what was on the menu for Friday evening, (hamburgers & hotdogs) it dawned on me that I forgot the portable BBQ in the garage.  Too bad that wasn’t the worst of what I’d forgotten…  I had also forgotten to bring the keys to the trailer.  Now we’re hurtling down the 401 with a big brick on wheels behind us that’s eating into my gas mileage and has no useful function when we get to the campground, except make it look like we belong there.

At this point, camping isn’t the enjoyable getaway it usually is…

After setting up camp, (which included using an axe to open locked compartments on the trailer) we stuck to the menu of burgers and hotdogs, although the cooking method, (that is, frying!) left much to be desired.  (Nothing like draining your hamburger on paper-towel before eating it!)

Thankfully, the weather forecast looked great all weekend.

Then the rain came on Saturday morning.  Not a light sprinkle the kids can still play in, but a rain more akin to drought relief.  Camping in the rain is, well, unpleasant.  You can tolerate mosquitoes, you can build fires when it’s cold, but when everything is wet, camping isn’t fun anymore.

I was sitting across from Avery as we ate Cheerios for breakfast together, listening to the rain and wondering how long it would take to become stir crazy from being cooped up in a little trailer when I looked out of the plastic “window” at the trees.  At this point, 16 hours into our camping trip, the beauty of the park (even in the rain!) kind of caught me off guard.  It’s no wonder it’s a popular place to visit, I thought, God really put some sparkle into this little corner of His creation.  It reminded me of the cliché, “Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees.”  In my case, being self-absorbed with my “camping woes” was blinding me to one of the primary enjoyments of camping; seeing God’s creation in all it’s beauty, up close and personal!  It made me wonder how many other blessings I’ve missed that God puts squarely in front of me to notice.  Or that I take for granted because I’m staring at my own shoes.  The Psalmist wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”  Our lives should declare God’s glory too, and if we’re willing to count our blessings, we’ll quickly run out of fingers and toes as we realize how incredibly blessed we are!  Self-absorption can’t do that!

Question: What do you do to remind you to look for God’s blessings in your life?  Leave your comment below.

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We Need a Beach Day

There is something about the early morning that has a calming, hopeful effect on me.  This morning the sun is peaking through the trees and glistening off the grass and the side of the trailer next to us. The air is still, not a leaf is moving, and the birds are chirping as if to call everyone to wake up and experience this amazing scene.  Of course, I’m the only one up; everyone else is still sleeping, dreaming today will be a better day than the rain of yesterday.

At this particular moment the sky is blue, not a cloud can be seen.  It looks like it’ll be a perfect day for the beach – impossible to believe that the forecast calls for thunder showers.  From where I sit on our deck, right now I have high hopes that this will be an awesome beach day.

Aahh, the peace, the quiet, the stillness, the calm of this moment … did I say quiet? Yes, I did … but it won’t be for long.  My sister and her three boys are visiting, and when things get going here there will be lots of activity, talking, laughing, fighting for the bathroom.  We need a good day, a sunny day, a day at the beach to keep everyone happy.

In the quiet of the morning, I have a great calm and hope about what will transpire today.  I think we’ll get our beach day so that my sister and her kids didn’t drive up from rainy Mississauga only to experience a rainy Sauble Beach.

It’s perfect right now.  It’s going to be a great day … well, that is, except for the forecast of a thunderstorm.  Things can change.  I’ve seen it before:  blue sky, hot sun and then some tiny clouds appears in the distance, and slowly get bigger and closer and you can sense the rain falling far off.  A day can change quickly.  It reminds me of Elijah telling his servant to look for a cloud in the sky after three years of no rain (1 Kings 18:41-45).  It’s happened before, and it could happen today.

Here’s the thing:  We really don’t know what a day will bring our way.  It could be good or it could be bad (and I’m not just talking about weather).  But it seems to me we should try to start the day as prepared and ready as possible for whatever will come our way.  I think that means we should take time in the early part of the day to set ourselves calm and quiet.  And we can do that no better than to take time with God, read, pray, reflect, journal, just set ourselves calm and quiet in Him as we begin each day.

And what do you know? … the weather man WAS wrong … perfect beach day! … who’d a thunk it?!

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: How do you get calm and quiet for the start of the day?

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You Never Know

I am on vacation at this time and while I am beaching it up I will have guest blogs once a week. Today’s blog is from Dr. Bruce Pritchard, who is a retired physician.

You never know where a path may lead so travel carefully, looking to the future and asking for God’s guidance.

It’s now strawberry time and that reminds me of experiences from the past.

When I was 15, I looked very hard for a summer job.  Good summer jobs in the late 50s were difficult to find if you were not yet 16.

I was the envy of my friends when I found one that paid 5 cents for every basket of strawberries I could pick.  The work was at the Experimental Farm in Ottawa.  Each day started with a wagon ride to the fields at 7:30 in the morning.

The berries were the best you could get anywhere and although you could not carry any home in your hand, you could eat as many as you wanted while you were on the job.  They were large, firm, sweet and absolutely delicious but for some reason, after three days of picking and eating, I didn’t care if I ever saw one again.  The job lasted a few weeks.  Having enjoyed the benefits of earning what seemed like a lot of money in a short time, I wanted to find further employment.

I remember praying with my mom and dad about finding another job.  On the last morning in the strawberry field, I was offered work cleaning out Experimental Farm chicken coops.  This was not the most desirable employment but I was promised that if I did a good job and something more attractive came up, I might be able to move on.  Chicken coop cleaning was about as much fun as it sounds.  Apart from having to work in small, very hot, very stinky, dirty rooms, the job was fine.  There were lots of chickens and they had produced not-so-hidden treasures all over the place.  The work was tolerable as by then I was earning 65 cents an hour.  I had so much money I couldn’t spend it all even after putting half in the bank as savings.

After a couple of weeks, I moved on to cleaning out and cataloging the contents of a chemical storeroom that supplied a number of labs in a research building.  Some of the chemicals had not been used or moved for years.  The job was fascinating.  The full time staff person I was working for showed me lots of very interesting chemical reactions.  One reaction conducted in an outdoor court yard attracted the attention of several fire trucks, police and security.  It was suggested that we not repeat that particular demonstration.

Research scientists came to me for their supplies.  They made me feel much more important than I was as before I was on the scene, they simply came into the storeroom and got what they needed.  I started to become very interested in science.  The next year I went back to working in the same storeroom initially but then I was offered a job in a real scientific laboratory.

A large part of the new job involved conducting long experiments in a basement lab that was kept at a few degrees above freezing.  We were expected to be present in the cold room for 3 to 4 hours at a time at intervals around the clock when the experiments were running.  This may sound like a great way to spend the hot summer as we were working in buildings that were not air conditioned.  The main lab was on the fourth floor and that was the only storage area for the parkas that we wore when working in the cold lab.  Many times I recall wearing my heavy parka in 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit Ottawa summer heat while carrying bottles of chemicals and riding down on the elevator to the amazement and wonder of fellow riders.  Did I mention that some of my companions in the experiments were specially selected white rats?  The 30 or so rats felt the same enthusiasm as I did when it came to collecting daily blood samples.  Apparently the rats had not read the manual where it said they would not be bothered by sampling from the tips of their tails.

The next summer I worked in a lab again.  This time I was working on nozzle design for aircraft involved with spraying DDT to control the spruce budworm population in New Brunswick.  Thankfully I was never in contact with DDT.  The lab technician who worked with the pesticide for many years had so many unusual symptoms that even then, at my level of non-expertise, it suggested dangerous toxicity.  I decided DDT research was not for me.

My summer experiences in different areas of scientific research led me to take university courses majoring in chemistry and physics.  University classes led to several summers of work for the Department of National Defense in Suffield, Alberta.  But that is another story.

Who would have thought that picking strawberries in Ottawa would lead to researching characteristics of human skin permeability in far-off Suffield?

The point of this tale is that we never know where our life experiences may lead.  Working hard even in unattractive jobs can pay off in unimaginable ways.  I believe that asking God to guide our steps is the most important part of following life’s path.

Question: How has God guided your steps along life’s path?  Leave your comments below.