Inevitable Change

We are back in Barrhead, Alberta, Canada, to spend time with Ingrid’s family.

Since my first visit here over 30 years ago, many things have changed here, though some changes are more significant than others.

As I walked around town, I notice many new names on storefronts.  The IGA has moved and enlarged and is open 24 hours.

Several years ago, the trains quit servicing the elevators, so that now the farmers have to truck their grain and canola long distances.  The elevators still stand, though under private ownership and being used by a grain trader/middleman.

The grain elevator in Barrhead, Alberta, Canada

The big change for us is the location of Ingrid’s parents.  Just after our last visit 3 years ago, they moved off the farm and into town.  So this is our first time staying with them in the new place.

The new home place

The house is not far from downtown—but neither is anything else here.  This morning I walked almost the entire perimeter in about an hour and a half.

People change, too.  How is it that some of the younger cousins now have gray hair?  This struck me particularly this morning.  I see many people about our age thinking about retirement.  Yet we, only recently made a career change.  It seems to me that making a career change in one’s 50’s helps keep one mentally young, since it is almost like we are starting out in life again.  (Though I must admit that at times I feel especially old when we struggle at trying to learn a new language.)

The old home place

As much as I like many things about the old Barrhead and the pattern of life we enjoyed here, we cannot stop change.  Some things, I admit, are better now.  My trip to the library this morning gave me the fastest internet access I have ever experienced anywhere!

Still, it would be nice to step out of the house and onto the farm.  And while that is not possible, it is possible to enjoy the company of family and friends we have not seen in a while.  We can reminisce about “old times” while enjoying the present and looking forward to what God is going to do in each of our lives in the future.

And in the midst of all this constant change, we rejoice that we have a God that does not change, whose very character defines the word “faithful”. 

We pray that even though our bodies will go through inevitable changes our faith will remain strong until the end.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:7-8 ESV)

Welcome to Canada

We had just arrived at Vancouver International Airport and Ingrid's sister was driving us to their place in Langley. As we were driving we passed a field where they were picking blueberries.

Now we haven't had fresh blueberries in 3 years and we really like them, so Lore was more than happy to turn around and inquire about buying blueberries.

 

The people picking the blueberries appeared to be Indo-Canadians and the ones we first tried to speak to hardly spoke any English.  We did find that they were not selling the blueberries there, but one of the pickers loaded our hands with some fresh berries.  They then pointed to a fellow back down the row of bushes a bit who did speak some English.

We chatted with this fellow a bit and then enjoyed the fresh berries.  While we were still back in Thailand we had talked about things we were looking forward to in Canada.  Ingrid was looking forward to being with her family.  As for me, I was thinking, "I think we will get in on the end of blueberry season."

This gift of blueberries was a nice welcome to Canada, given to us by those who have been welcomed to Canada themselves.

As Christians, we are to ones that welcome "aliens".  I think about all of those verses in the Bible that walk about welcoming the sojourners that come to our lands:

 

You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 22:21 ESV)

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.  (Leviticus 19:34 ESV)

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.  (Deuteronomy 10:17, 18)

Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.  (Jeremiah 22:3 ESV)

do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart. (Zechariah 7:10 ESV)

Most of all, we thank God that he welcomes sojourners like ourselves into the kingdom of God.