How Life Fits Together

Today I experienced what it feels like to tie together pieces of your life that until that moment have just dangled there in your memory. And its difficult to explain to someone other than yourself. That’s because, other than God, no one else really knows your life or how you interpret yourself, and the moments and events in your life that stick out.

My friend Richard, lost his wife 2 years ago. Just when they figured that everything was in place to enjoy the rest of their lives together, she died from lung cancer. An ironic death to add to to the agony because she was an athlete, a nurse and had never smoked.

Richard and I have played hockey on the same team for about 10 years. But our lives seldom crossed if it were not related to hockey.

3 weeks ago he attended the church my wife and I attend. We discovered that he had been invited by a lady from our church who was a friend of his wife and works to counsel people as well. Richard came up to me after the service, surprised to see me there. I am a strong enough believer to express how great it was to see him there. The next Sunday I saw him sitting alone and invited him to sit with us. This Sunday he and his lady friend sat with us on their own accord. The worship music was very moving. Pastor Art gave a very touching and powerful sermon message around the fact that going to heaven was a final step, but Jesus encourages us throughout our lives to see, feel and understand how He is always with us along lifes’ journey. Pastor Art concluded with a brief summary of his mothers life. She had passed away at 98 ½ the previous week.

Having listened many times when Pastor Art shared emotional, challenging, painful and joyous moments of his personal life with the congregation at our church, I as many others were lifted and moved by his ability to bring us closer to the fire of Christ that burns within him.


Richard stood up with the rest of us when the service ended. He was in need of some one to talk to. We stood together for about 20 minutes. Richard touched on the loss of his wife and he wanted to express some feelings about his parents who are living in Northern Ontario.

I hoped afterward that I had been able to be a comfort to him. I said that when you believe in God you come to know that everything happens for a purpose and maybe he and I sitting together in church today was no accident. I hope that in some small ways I will be able to stay connected with Richard.

During our conversation, I talked about losing my father and some of the circumstances around that.

Later at home as I ate lunch and flicked through the channels on T.V., I stopped when I recognized the movie, Field of Dreams. It is a baseball story by Canadian writer W.P. Kinsella, turned into a movie. It’s the only movie I’ve ever bought a copy of. I caught it near the end when the central figure, Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner is having surrealistic meeting with his father who had died when Ray was a young boy. Ray is now fully understanding a vision he had and a voice he heard saying “If you build it he will come.” Until this moment Ray believed that the person who would come was Shoeless Joe Jackson, a baseball player form the 30’s who was caught up in an infamous baseball scandal. But now Shoeless Joe who did come to life in the movie points to another figure on the ‘field of dreams’. Ray instinctively knows it his father as a young man, in his prime as a baseball player. He tells his wife he had only known his Dad as a shadow of this figure… worn down by life.

In the emotional conclusion Ray asks his Dad to play catch with him and they do.

In that moment I seemed to realize for the first time that I had only known my Dad worn down by life, not that he acted that way because he always showed the brighter side of his life even though I knew that as an adult, most of his energy had been given to fighting in WWII for five years and then shortly after returning home an unexpected start to marriage and family meant he was destined to provide enough to raise a family of four kids and he only knew ‘hard work’ as means to that end.

And I wondered, forcing back a tear or two of my own, what I would do with my Dad if I were given the opportunity that Ray Kinsella was given.

Although hockey is really the only sport I’ve played I knew my Dad had played a bit of baseball when he was young and in his prime and I remember him saying that my Uncle Mel had been a real pro prospect but didn’t want to leave home back in Nova Scotia in the 30’s.

So I thought that playing catch with my Dad in his prime would be a pretty good wish.

Our last plan before he died was a fall hunting trip. It never happened so as I think about possibilities, I think spending time with my Dad in his younger days in the bush of Nova Scotia in autumn would pretty much be a dream day with him.

As Pastor Art told us that his Mom was now in a glorious place meeting again her husband and others waiting in heaven, I know that my faith in our Lord needs to stay strong and grow, so that I will know without doubt there is a day when my Dad and I can begin spending an eternity together.

Richard has known tragic loss and I believe fears further loss such as his aging parents. I will pray for Richard that through the grace of Jesus Christ he can prepare himself in strong faith to understand that the plan God has for us reigns over our best abilities as human to understand the real meaning and purpose of life.

As I look back on today, it is overwhelming to see the journey that the Lord has planned for me in these past few hours. None of it is anything I planned or thought about. I am strengthened to be shown Gods’ hand on me and to gain a little more wisdom that will lead me to trust this truth even more. As God ties the dangling moments of my life together, I feel there are many more days to come during which I will feel His presence and His peace within me.