A number of years ago, a close family member was diagnosed with cancer, and while at the beginning, the prognosis was good, as so often happens, the cancer came back with a vengeance, and she was given less than a year to live.

She was a child of the fifties, raised to believe that we have to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and soldier on, regardless of the condition of the road in front of us. Her unwillingness to accept defeat was well known within the family, but not all of us shared her optimism. However, we did not want to upset her or dampen her hope.

As her health deteriorated, she was admitted to the hospital, so my wife and I went to visit her. When we entered her room, we could see that the weeks of chemo had taken a toll on her physically, and she was just a shadow of her former self. It was difficult not to express our shock. No amount of mental preparation could have prepared us for this.

On the other hand, her mental state seemed relatively fine, since she believed that with enough willpower, she could conquer any adversary. Throughout the visit, she continued to say that she was going to beat this thing, and we were convinced that in her heart of hearts, she truly believed this. Yet, we were wanting to help make her last days more peaceful by talking about our faith. But we were afraid that broaching the subject would be difficult for her, so we said nothing. A few weeks later, this much-loved family member did pass away. We were left with the regret of what had remained unsaid.

Although the Holy Spirit was present with us in that room, as Jesus promised that He always would be, I was not at a stage of my faith where I was able to listen to Him. I often wonder what would have happened if we had taken the risk and asked her about her understanding of life after death. This question might have broken the awkward silence in the room and started a conversation about Jesus that would have brought her some peace of mind in the last days of her life. What I see now as being important is to be aware of the call of the Holy Spirit acting in us and to understand in what direction He is guiding us. We must be still and listen for God's leading, especially in difficult circumstances.

Today's passage from Jeremiah tells us that we are to listen to the Lord and pay attention to what He says. If we do this, He will guide us through the darkness and into light. If not, we will stumble in the gloom and darkness. We are also told to give glory to the Lord, which means that we are to praise Him openly. We are not to remain silent, but we must be open to praising Him in the presence of others.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that our hearts may be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and that our minds may be illuminated by His Word. Grant us the wisdom and the courage to reach out to others with the good news of the saving grace that only our Saviour, Jesus Christ, can bring to us. Amen.

Having a strong interest in the First World War, I've read a great number of books on the subject, some written by historians and others being first-hand accounts. Of the two, I like the soldiers' stories the best, as they are written from the personal experiences of the people who were actually there at the time. What strikes me most in their accounts is the appalling conditions under which they lived. When they did their time serving in the front-line trenches, they were constantly covered in mud and filth while being infested with lice and fleas. Running all about them were rats, feasting on the bodies of those who had been killed but could not be buried because of the danger of enemy fire. The soldiers endured all this while facing imminent death, either by sniper fire or by the shells which rained down on them on a regular basis.

Life behind the front line was only marginally better. Frequently, their billets were in the basement of a bombed-out building where close contact with their comrades in arms meant hygiene was poor and illness was common. Lacking the lifesaving drugs that we take for granted today, death from the most mundane ailments was common.

Due to the logistics, they could not even take comfort in a good meal. With constant bombardment and poor transportation, food supplies were always limited. Much of the time, the men existed on a diet of canned meat and hardtack. A hot meal was the exception rather than the rule.

So, there they were, living in a strange country, surrounded by strangers, existing in squalid conditions, hungry, wet, and cold, and with the spectre of sudden death constantly hanging over them.

Yet, they carried on with a force of resilience that has to be admired. They obeyed orders, did their duty, and subjected themselves to constant danger. In their letters home, the unwritten rule of the trenches was "Never whimper, never complain." No one wished to upset their loved ones so far away.

As we go through difficult times or troubles, I frequently reflect on those poor soldiers who fought and died a century ago. The trials that I face can in no way compare with theirs. At the end of the day, I can still look forward to a hot meal, a warm bed, and the loving support of family and friends.

Reflecting on the endurance of these others gives me strength to carry on. When downtrodden, we need to keep the faith and pray for God's guidance. Let's look around, as there is always someone willing to lend a helping hand or ear. In addition, God gave us His only Son, Jesus, and with Him, love and hope here on earth and afterwards in heaven. Good times will come again.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, during our times of trouble, help us not to focus on ourselves but rather to remember the strength of others. Remind us that our time here on earth is short and that these problems will soon pass away. As we reflect on the perseverance of those who came before us, may we realize that we, too, have the strength to carry on. May we reach out to others when we need help, and help those in need when they need us. Your love endures forever! Amen.

Have you ever felt God asking you to do something that you were reluctant to do? Today's passage comes from the story of Gideon, very much one of the reluctant leaders of the Old Testament. When the Lord came to him, Gideon was grinding the meagre harvest of wheat in a winepress in an effort to be able to hide some flour from the Midianites to feed his family. At this time in their history, things were going very badly for the Israelites, for they had forsaken God and were being persecuted by their stronger and larger neighbours to the point where they were forced to hide in caves to escape them.

Into this scene, an angel of the Lord stepped with a much bolder plan for Gideon, telling him that he would deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites. Gideon received this news with total disbelief, and only after demanding a sign from God three different times did he actually believe that he had been chosen for the task.

I can certainly identify with Gideon. Part of my retirement plan was to continue my involvement in the church in the community where I grew up. During my working life, I had always attended church and had been on various committees, which worked to give support to the church and its leaders. I looked forward to being able to do the same after retirement. I knew that I had the necessary commitment and would work hard to support the church, but doing this behind the scenes was my comfort zone.

But it wasn't too long before I was asked to take a more active role in the service by reading the Scripture lessons on occasion. As time progressed, this led to my becoming more and more involved in leading worship.

Last fall, our minister answered a call to go to a church in western Canada. During that time of change, the elders asked me to take full charge of the service one Sunday a month, with another minister leading the rest of the services. Somewhat reluctantly, I agreed to this, feeling that I did not have the experience necessary to take on such a role, but also feeling that we must all do what we can to help when needed.

Recently, the other minister, who was leading most of the services, decided to move closer to his family. I was then asked to lead all the services. Like Gideon, I do not feel qualified for the task at hand, and I am unsure that this is the job which God is calling me to do. But, unlike Gideon, I do not expect God to send me such a definitive sign as the dew on the fleece. However, as I reflected and prayed on it, I felt that God was guiding me at this time and that I had to take a leap of faith and do what I could to help my church.

Many times in life, we must trust that we are part of God's plan for His world, and with prayer, accept the challenges that lie before us to best of our abilities. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can all grow in our faith.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, there are times in our lives when we find ourselves on uncharted waters. Guide us when we are unsure of the path to take and we are unable to see the goal in sight. Strengthen our faith so that we can understand that You will lead us in the direction that You wish us to travel. Amen.

Back in 1966 in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, life was a two-channel universe pictured in black and white and topped by rabbit ears. I'm sure that some readers will remember those old television sets, which are quite a contrast to today's television options!

For me, a welcome distraction each summer was a visit from my cousin and his family who lived in the exotic place called Fenelon Falls, Ontario.

Every August, a car pulling a small travel trailer would top the hill and proceed to park itself in our front yard. The vehicle would barely stop when the door would fly open and my cousin would hit the ground at top speed. Being the son of a preacher man seemed to have no effect on this relative of the Tasmanian devil.

Thus, it was with great glee that he found behind our henhouse a solid steel ball the size of a shot put. Earlier, my brother and I had gone on a Victoria Day fishing trip with our father to a place called Forest Hills, where back in the 1920s, there had been a gold mine, long since abandoned. In the remains of the ore crusher, we had found that steel ball and had taken it home as a great treasure.

Right away, my very excited cousin decided that it would make the perfect shot put. When he found it too heavy for his ten-year-old arm to throw any distance, he decided to wrap it in an old rag. A couple of spins of his body and it sailed through the air looking like Halley's comet.

We were having a lot of fun and all was going fine until he decided to try it in the front yard, within distance of his father's beautiful 1959 Buick Electra with the neat wraparound rear window. Well, the steel comet made a lovely arc in the air, and both of us knew where it was headed, but all we could do was stand there and watch.

Now, up to that point in my life, I didn't know that Protestant ministers heard confessions or dispensed penance, but I'm sure that's what took place in the trailer that August afternoon.

Needless to say, it was a very subdued boy that emerged from the trailer the next morning after his father left to tour the auto salvage yards to find a new window for his car.

Do you ever feel that your life is spinning out of control? We all live through times when things are moving too fast or in a direction that we don't want. We have such a feeling of helplessness and a sense of dread as we watch things that we have said or done take on lives of their own. It can be very scary.

Yet, we must always remember that God is constantly in control. There is a purpose to everything we do. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, then things will turn out, not as we want, but as God desires. Our confession is always in order:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please hear my prayer: I forget to let go and give You control. I wonder why things aren't going the way that I want them to go. I forget to stop and ask what You want. Lord, help me to realize that what I desire may not be what is meant for me, or what is best for me. Lord, let me accept each day as a gift. May I follow the path that You choose for me. May I concentrate on living to please You! Give me strength, faith, and hope, and most of all, give me guidance each and every day. May I trust in You! In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

When my wife and I retired and returned to the home in which I grew up, one of the projects that I was determined to start was having a vegetable garden.

Throughout my working life, I have always had flower beds surrounding the houses in which we lived, but I never had the time or the space to grow vegetables. Thus, I was really anticipating the opportunity to plant a garden and grow my own food.

However, I realized that the earth had not been cultivated in over ten years, and it had reverted back to weeds. Although I did not expect to have much success for the first season, I still wanted to cultivate the soil and restore its strength with compost. So, I sowed the seeds with low expectations of any good harvest.

Yet by mid-summer, the garden had really taken off, and we were starting to enjoy the first vegetables of the season. Visitors also commented on how well the garden was growing.

For my part, I thought that it was mainly good fortune and good weather that had given us such success.

It wasn't until one day when I was looking out over the land that the real truth came to me. There had been a garden in that spot for over 50 years, starting first with my father in the middle sixties, then continuing with my mother after he passed away. During their lifetimes, they had worked hard to keep the soil built up so that it would yield a good crop in its season. Although the land had remained fallow for several years when there was no one to tend it, the strength was there in the earth, waiting to be awakened once again.

What kind of spiritual legacy are we going to leave for those who follow us? Year after year, we have to be dedicated to striving to build up the faith of those around us. We mustn't be discouraged when we fail to see immediate results. Sometimes, it takes years before the seeds that we plant will spring forth into new growth.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant us the strength to persevere in times of discouragement. Help us to understand and accept that Your will, not ours, is to be done. Amen.