First Robin of Spring, March 16, 2010

Today I saw the first robin of Spring. As I walked to work the sun shone on my face giving me warmth and light, the sky above was blue, and the air was still, I thought back to last Saturday when I walked to the employment office in the rain, the north east wind beating down on me soaking my pants and jacket, the rain in my face forcing me to keep my head down while the transport trucks sped past me on Rexdale road. I rejoice in the glorious day TODAY!

Sunday the gospel doctrine lesson discussed the life of Joseph of Egypt and how he - and we - can turn dissappointment, despair, down right nastiness, into something that works for our benefit and blesses the lives of those around us.

We had a moment to reflect on the bravery of Terry Fox, hopping, walking, sort of loaping from the west coast to the east in his pledge to raise money for cancer research. He did raise millions as he trudged on in the rain, the hail, and the intense heat. He said of himself that he was nothing special, just an ordinary guy, but, I would add my voice to the millions of Canadians who herald him as our modern day HERO. At the age of 18 he contracted cancer in his let which had to be amputated and while he was in the hospital he saw all the others with cancer and he determined to do something to help them. Eventually the cancer moved into his lungs and he had to abandone his quest to reach the east coast. How could he keep going on? Why did he keep going on?

Another Canadian hero, Rick Hansen who when he was 15 was in an automobile accident that left him with a spinal chord injury. Never to walk again and all that is associated with walking noever again to participate in the sports he loved so much, so he thought at the time. He was the MAN IN MOTION wheeling is chair through 34 countries raising millions of dollars for spinal chord research, supporting wheelchair olympics, encouraging thousands of those with injuries . He did realize his dream to participate in sports and he was a winner!

These three men knew how to turn adversity into victory. Heroes to take note of. Every day we have men and women come into our employment resource centre looking for work. Some have come in Canada for a better life, to work until they can make enough money to send for their families. Today a man from Rowanda came in, he had not much in the way of skills to offer an employer, although he could read and write and he spoke english and french, his family are still in Rowanda. Yesterday Peter, who had worked in canada for 9 years before his family eventually were reunited here with him, came in for a job lead, and today his two daughters came into the centre looking for help in finding a job. A brother from Peru, one from Chile, a sister from Haiti, and the list goes on, not to mention those life long Canadians out of work.

How blessed is my life to live in my native land, to speak the language of the country and have had the opportunity to go to school through grade 12 and then onto college. Never to have been without food, shelter nor my husband out of work, to have loving supportive family and friends close by. Blessings from Heaven!
And May God Bless you today! Elaine