If we live life to the fullest — no matter what our health problems may be — if we live life to the fullest, we will be loved and remembered all our days. No matter what we can offer each other, no matter what we can do for each other, we must never forget to give love. To give love to the fullest is to receive love in return.

Wednesday three weeks ago is a day that none in our church family will forget. The phone rang and we heard the news of the untimely passing of a young, vibrant worker for the Lord. We couldn't believe it. Phone calls left unreturned: "Oh, we'll get around to it tomorrow." Work left unfinished: "Oh, it'll get done tomorrow." But there was no tomorrow. No returned phone calls, no finished work. There was no tomorrow for his friends, and family.

He had had a heart attack and died suddenly. Having given his life and his love to everyone with whom he came into contact, now he was gone. One is reminded that our Lord said, "Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13), and so he did. He gave his life to his friends.

Now Kevin is gone. Gone: never to return those phone calls, never to return the smiles, and there had been plenty of those. Kevin showed love all his life. At his funeral, held by necessity in the largest church in the area, a thunderous applause broke out: "A job well done, Kevin! Thanks for your love."

No matter what we're doing, no matter how busy we are, no matter how we feel, we must never, never forget to show love. We must not wait until it's too late. Let us tell someone that we love them; we dare not wait for life to pass us by. Let us get on with it; let us enjoy life to the fullest. Kevin surely did.

Prayer: Dear Lord, let us never forget that we must use your gifts in this world, that we must show our love for those around us, just as you did, Lord. Help us not to squander our days, but to be productive. Let us get that word "procrastination" out of our lives, and let us live life to the fullest. Amen.

[Editor's note: The Rev'd Mr. Kevin Liscombe, minister at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Roslin, Ontario, Canada, died suddenly on October 25th. The author of today's devotional is an elder in a neighbouring congregation in the Presbytery of Kingston.]

The Lord's timing is always amazing. Many times we want things done the way we want them, in the time we say. As human beings, we have come to live in an instant society. We have become impatient, wanting things done now, not when it's right for us. We need to learn to wait upon the Lord to work all his timely miracles.

The other day I went to the eye doctor for a simple diabetic eye test. I didn't think much of it; I have the same test done every year. I didn't think anything would come of it. The eye doctor looked in my eyes, and then he took out another little lens that I had never seen before. He looked at my right eye for quite a long time, then removed the lens and gave me the verdict. He spoke cautiously and carefully, not wishing to alarm me. He told me that he saw something there, and that it needed to be dealt with immediately. It was a detached retina, which could lead to blindness if not dealt with. At first I was terrified, but as I sat back and realized what had happened, I started to praise and thank the Lord for another great work of timeliness. If I had not had that test when I did, my eye would only have worsened. Since I didn't have any vision problems when I went to see the doctor, it might have been too late by the time I noticed any encroachment in my vision.

As I write this, I'm waiting for the operation to take place next week, as I understand they will probably be able to do laser surgery and I will be fine. "Just fine": imagine those words! With the Lord all things will be "just fine" — no, they won't — they'll be "amazing!"

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for holding us in your loving arms. Thank you for knowing what's best for us, even when sometimes we think we know what's best. Help us learn not to be so impatient and not to let our human nature get the better of us. Help us remember that in your time everything will be amazing. Amen.

We had the pleasure of having tea with friends one Saturday. I had noticed within the last two years that the husband seemed to be happier, more mellow, than he used to be. I always wondered what had happened to him for this change of heart to be so noticeable. He told me his story.

When he was a young man he was raised in a traditional church, but rebelled against church and the Lord and all that that stood for. He thought it was silly superstitious nonsense. As he grew, he married a lovely Christian woman who loved the Lord, but she loved Bob too. She knew she'd have to understand his ways, although it was hard for her. When he'd come into the room where she was reading the Bible or listening to her religious music, she'd have to turn off the music or close the book, because Bob used to get so mad. On occasion, to make Joan happy, he'd go to church when there were special events going on. One Sunday, the minister at Joan's church asked Bob to read a passage of scripture to the congregation the following Sunday. Bob knew he didn't want to, but Joan coaxed him, until he said "Yes." Bob went back the following Sunday and read it. He started to feel moved inside, just ever so slightly, but he felt something. He started going to church a little more frequently after that.

Now, not only has Bob started coming back to church, but he's actually become a member of the church, and one of the church leaders. The Lord has taken Bob's heart and let it blossom to be used in His service. Now Joan and Bob join in prayer around the kitchen table every day — something they had never done in all their married life. The Lord has given Joan the Bob she always wanted.

Although we need to counsel our youth to marry only "in the Lord", if we know of a spouse like Bob, we must never give up on them. Like Joan did, we must pray that somehow they will come to the Lord. With so many young people not knowing the Lord, and others turning away from Him, we must be able to show by our example that the Lord is still very much alive and pray for these people that they will find Him again. The Lord has not given up on them — they've just moved a little away from Him.

Prayer: Lord, let the hearts of this world who don't know you be moved into feeling your presence, hearing your soft, sweet voice calling and moving within them, and let them wake up to your love surrounding them. Amen.