Perhaps some headings will help?
Things that happened to me this week:
1. Found a house that ticks all the boxes. Had to convince Italian landlord via Skype that I was not a secret Hells-Angel-type-party-animal who will smoke the house out, scare the neighbors, keep dogs and generally trash the house (As the previous tenants had done) ((Don't worry, the house has been entirely remodeled since said incident).
2. Got stopped by the Police for not coming to a complete stop at a Stop sign. Correct use of apology, smile and British accent lead to successful avoidance of $110 fine and 3 points on new Ontario licence.
3. Work is very busy. Good, but busy. Lots to catch up on in a short space of time.
4. Been to lots of churchy-type-meetings - God is on the move in Canada as He is across the nations. It's an exciting time to be part of what's already happening here.
Observations on Canadian Life
Yes, in Canada you really do DRIVE EVERYWHERE. That's because everything is SO VERY FAR APART.
You may think this is a small change. But should I attempt to walk to the nearest grocery store it would take a good 45 minutes each way. And I'm not staying out of town.
Put simply, I think Canada is bigger than England in the way that the moon is bigger than a golf ball. If you don't drive then you don't actually get anywhere.
Yes, the houses are huge (comparatively) THAT'S BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH SPACE. Plus (I'm told) it gets cold in winter therefore you are inside A LOT and therefore you want A LOT of inside to be in.
Yes, Tim Hortons is the best place ever.
Yes, people who serve you in shops are actually friendly. (Apart from McDonalds, which is staffed by the same surly teenagers the world over).
Yes, they have at least 100% more sky than the UK (you'll see what I mean when you get here) and the landscape is beautiful and just begs to be explored.
The weather here is either 'ON' or 'OFF'. It's either one thing totally FULL ON or it's another. - and this time of year it all goes a bit haywire. Muggy and Thunderstorms one day. Frosty and Blue Skies the next. Then Monsoon rainstorm, followed by Fog... you get the picture.
Options - the choice of what to do and where to go is seemingly unending. I can't wait to explore the lakes, towns and villages of Ontario, and then other Provinces in Canada, and then the USA... so much to see and do.
"So far, so good." you might say.
But the 'Canadian Lifestyle' is not the reason we've come. And it's not the reason we'll stay.
God plants a seed in our lives. Whether we choose to allow it to grow or not depends on us, doesn't it?
Like a sailor on a boat, the wind can be blowing in one direction, but unless the sailor aligns the sails properly he doesn't catch the wind. In fact, the sailor can build a great big diesel engine and steer the boat wherever he pleases. But maybe, by doing that, he shortens his horizons.
It's only by God's grace that we've come this far. And I am convinced that God's grace will continue to lead us home. Not to some 6 bedroom mansion overlooking a lake in the Canadian Rockies (as nice as that may seem), but to the riches of heaven itself.
I'm praying for more and more of God's grace to be evident in my life. As I prepare for my family to arrive (not long now!) I also want to prepare for that even better day, when God's grace towards those who trust in Jesus will be revealed in all its fullness.
Now that's something worth living for.
Much Love and Peace,
Bruce.
A bit from the Bible...
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.
Philipians 3:12-21.
