My father's parents divorced in the 1930s. Grandma Smith was forty-seven when she had Dad, the youngest of seven. Throughout his boyhood, whenever visitors were expected, it was his job to beg for food in the neighbourhood. He could not read well and quit school in grade seven. Dad was a troubled and quiet man, and so I cherish the time when, with tears in his eyes, he told me the story of how his older brother saved his life. A team of horses bolted, but Russell managed to stop them just before Dad would have been trampled. Although he drove truck for more than 40 years, my father found it very difficult to travel outside his home area. I have always felt a connection to my Uncle Russell, and after Dad passed away in his eighties, I wanted to visit his brother's grave in Belgium.

Corporal Russell Smith, Highland Light Infantry, already wounded, went back to the front to serve in the Battle of the Scheldt. The operation was to free the estuary to open the port of Antwerp. He was killed on October 31st, 1944. He and many of the Canadians who died there and elsewhere in Belgium were brought to the cemetery in the village of Adegem, Belgium. Not long after his death, Grandma Smith saw Dad off on the train with a package of sandwiches. He was seventeen, heading west to be trained. The war ended before he got overseas.

Romans 13:7 – Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect then respect; if honor, then honor. (NIV)

In May 2016, my husband and I rented a car in Brussels and drove to the small, beautifully kept cemetery. To be the first of the Smith family to see where he was buried was an honour. The sun came out as I found his grave. A small group of children from the village school entered the cemetery. Their teacher explained that these grade six students, each with a clipboard, were there to learn about the soldiers. One lad walked over to me and said, "Respect".

The next Remembrance Day, I stood in front of my television watching the service from Ottawa, our national capital. I said a prayer of thanksgiving for my Uncle Fred (who came back from the front an alcoholic), Uncle Russell, Dad, and Grandma Smith. It was not uncommon to see a deer in the little bush behind our backyard, but right then, four deer nosed up to the window and looked in. I marvelled at the comfort that I received, and I dried my tears.

On this day of remembering, let us thank God for the selfless people of our world, past and present, who have risked their lives to protect us, to preserve our freedom, and to keep the peace.

Prayer: Dear Lord, with thanksgiving to You, we remember those who put their lives on the line to protect us all, those who gave their lives, those still alive who suffer from PTSD, the front line workers, emergency workers, and those who have endangered their lives not only for their loved ones, but also for total strangers. Amen.

With a fifth child on the way and in need of more space, we bravely knocked on the door of a big, old house. My husband and I had just heard that the owners were thinking of selling. That day, we began our very own "It's a Wonderful Life" adventure. Just like George Bailey, we would come to question our decision to buy the "drafty old barn". Built in 1880 and in Queen Anne style, our family would be only the fourth to call it home. When two train lines had come through town, the house was set on logs pulled by a team of horses, and rolled down the hill of our street to sit on an older, smaller foundation. Our "barn" was in a sorry state, but that meant that we could afford it! As we renovated over the next thirty years, I would say that our house was done up in the style of "early depression". The day that we moved in, our oldest child took one look at her new room and started ripping off the deplorable wallpaper. She drew pictures and wrote a Bible verse on the bare plaster before it was repapered. Thirteen years later, she and her husband tore off that wallpaper to find her little-girl art. What stood out was the verse that she had written all those years before:

Psalm 14:1a – The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." (NIV)

Just think of the evidence that contradicts that:

Psalm 19:1-3 – The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (NIV)

The Word of God has guided me in my walk in faith. The Lord Jesus said, "You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." (John 5:39-40 NASB)

I believe that it is no accident that what our hearts desire and think about keeps on showing up. One day in a back room of our used bookstore, my granddaughter found me crawling out from under a table. Hidden behind cases of romance novels, I had discovered a little box containing five pocketbooks — old classics. A small, well-thumbed Bible was nestled under them. As a former kindergarten teacher, I am experienced at locating owners of misplaced items. Keith, a pastor, was happy that one of his many old Bibles had found a good home. It turned out that we have the same family name and ancestral background. I have this hidden treasure beside me as I turn to the PresbyCan Daily Devotional each morning. Ten years ago, I happened upon this wonderful devotional source. Thank you to the volunteer editorial staff and the contributors who have helped readers like me find life in God's Word.

Psalm 119:130 – The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (NASB)

Jeremiah 15:16a – Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart. (NASB)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come to You and ask You to bless our lives. We pray Your blessing on the work of the PresbyCan Daily Devotional, and we ask that You would strengthen and guide the staff and writers. Thank You for speaking to us, enlightening us, and touching our spirits. In Your Word we find Your love, forgiveness, and guidance, so that we might live our lives the way that You would want us to. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I hobbled along, sore of foot, determined to make it around the block in good time. Just past the bend, I came upon a most bewildering sight. Stopping and startled, I tried to make sense of what was happening in front of me. A tall, older fellow with shocking hair pranced on the spot at the side of the road. I edged a little closer. He began making soft, strange sounds similar to the lonely call of a loon. It was when he started leaping from side to side that I saw something else. The poor old gentleman was tethered to a telephone pole with a metre-long rope. Numerous scenarios raced through my mind as I scrambled to understand just what I was looking at. As I reached for my phone to get help, a little girl came running from the side of a house. Without fear, she ran up to him, and he stopped galloping. She called out, with hand outstretched, "Here, Horsey! Want some grass?"

As I passed them, both smiling, I asked, "Horsey, may I take a picture?" Horsey whinnied and shook his mane of silver a definite no. I walked on, laughing quietly to myself, truly amazed at this show of family love and creativity in difficult times. As I turned back for one last look, Horsey had been untied. He galloped away down the side of the house, and the little girl followed in high glee. As I turned the corner, I heard, "I'm free! I'm free!" followed by a high pitched, joyous whinny.

Grandpa had found a way to show his love. He chose to honour and respect his little granddaughter while sacrificing a good bit of his dignity. He went beyond his feelings to see her side of things, what she needed, and what gave her joy. Can we not do the same for those around us?

1 John 3:21-23 – Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. (NIV 2011)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You showed us the way of self-sacrifice. We want to love others and put them first as You modelled and taught. We ask Your blessing on all those front-line workers who are leaving their homes and loved ones each day to keep others safe. Strengthen us all, we pray. Amen.

Being the eldest of four and having just turned six years of age, I was encouraged by my mother to set off on my own each morning to walk three blocks to our little neighbourhood playground. There, I attended a Vacation Bible School program. I don't remember much — it was long ago — but I do remember the last day of our time together. I followed the three young people who were our leaders to a quiet corner of the park. There, in the shade of a large bush, I knelt with my head bowed and asked the Lord Jesus to forgive my sins. I prayed that He would come into my life and be my Saviour. The memory is clear. I knew that I now belonged to the Lord, despite my young age, and I understood the steps that I had taken.

1 Timothy 4:12 – Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. (ESV)

If I could speak to those Christian youth workers today — they would be quite elderly now! — I would thank them for leading me to the Lord Jesus. They were the first to encourage me in my Christian walk. I would tell them of my deep gratitude and thankfulness for the Christian love that they showed a little girl sixty years ago.

Someday, in heaven, I know that I will meet those wonderful people again. In the meantime, let us pray for the work that young Christians are doing today for the Lord. Pray for the summer missionaries in child evangelism as they work with their neighbourhood partners and travel to their hosts' homes.

Hebrews 13:7 – Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (ESV)

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for those whom You have allowed to come into our lives to show us the way of salvation. We pray that You will be with youth workers this summer as they reach out to the children in Your most holy name. Lord Jesus, bless and encourage each and every one. Amen.