Foreword
– Blessed to be a Blessing
It has been great fun for Cher and I to recollect and
record memories of our lives in Southern Africa until 1991 in our book titled
Moving Moments – Memories of Southern Africa. Reliving those moments in the
writing of them, was sometimes moving. At other times it was a strong reminder
that God is faithful, no matter the circumstances. He promises never to leave nor
forsake us. Even more than that we were reminded that He loves to bless His
children and we counted ourselves to have been richly blessed.
When we left South Africa we did so, with great
trepidation, but also with much anticipation. This is what we wrote in the
final paragraph of Moving Moments:
“The African
chapter of our lives was about to close, and the Canadian chapter begin. We were
heart broken and yet expectant at the same time. God had been faithful to us in every area in
which we had trusted Him. We felt confident this would not change, but our hearts were sore
at who we were leaving behind. Life in Africa had been good to us. We had lived the
lives of privileged colonials in Africa. We had also enjoyed some
immensely
satisfying experiences since becoming Christians. Life in God’s service is an
adventure filled
with color, depth and rich, rewarding experiences. Now we were moving
into a different
world. What would God have in store for us in Canada? Only time would
tell, but we felt
secure in the knowledge that nowhere in this world is far from God’s reach. He
is just a prayer away at any time. Thank you, Lord, for the good years you gave
us in Africa. We will remember them to the end of our days.”
We are now in our thirtieth year of living in Canada. As
it happens, this is also the year that the Covid19 Pandemic has struck, causing
devastating impact on Canadians and all the nations of the world. The global
economy has taken a beating and much of the world’s population is in
“lockdown”, the latest buzz word which describing the attempt to cut off the
dreaded bug from gaining any more traction. It is an effort to “flatten the
curve” of cross infection to stave off the awful prospect of our health care
systems being overwhelmed.
Whilst in South Africa, we were praying for guidance
about coming to Canada. One of the verses which came to us again and again were
these words from Genesis 12 v 1-3 which God spoke to Abraham in calling him to
leave his homeland and family.
“Leave your country, your people and your
father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation and I
will bless you.
I will make your name great and you will
be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you and
whoever curses you I will curse.
And all the peoples on earth, will be
blessed through you”
Applying these verses to ourselves in today’s context God
promises His people and those who choose to follow Him, that we “are blessed so
that we can in turn, be a blessing to others”. We were sure that God had
blessed us in the first Southern African chapter of our lives. We had sought to
make our lives count for God and to be a blessing to others. What was unknown
was how the Canadian chapter of our lives would unfold. So, it seems this is an
opportune time to sit back, pause and reflect on the last thirty years. Has God
been faithful? Has He left and forsaken us? Have we been blessed out of our
socks?
Read on for the full story. We trust you will enjoy
the ride. It has not all been a bed of roses, but it certainly has been rich
and colorful.
Rob Cornish
In the year I turned 68 - 2020 AD
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