OnFire Encouragement Letter
OnFire #316 Take Hold of the Gunwales
Hi Folks:
It has been an eventful several weeks for us in Moncton.
Please continue to pray for the families, friends, and colleagues of the fallen
and injured Moncton RCMP members. I ran in the memorial run last Sunday, “3km
for 3 Fathers.” I was not prepared for my own level of emotion as I saw the sea
of 7000 red runners and the RCMP members who lined the route.
Last week I was enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Currently I am an Officer Cadet, but on the day I begin my move I will be
promoted to Captain. We are working out our moving dates this week. We can tell
you now where we are going – CFB Shilo, which is near Brandon, Manitoba. We
anticipate moving in the middle of July. Our house went on the market on the
weekend.
Ian loves his job and Prince George, BC. He is a compassman
on a timber cruising crew. Ian navigates the team and carries some of the gear
for the crew which evaluates stands of timber. This week he is working out of a
work camp.
Finally, news about Mark – Monday was his prom and safegrad,
and today is his graduation from high school. Wow – hard to believe! We are so
proud of him. He has worked hard and achieved much. He plans to attend our
local Christian university, Crandall University, to study psychology. He wants
to be a psychologist. We are celebrating with a family gathering later today.
I plan to continue writing OnFire. Understandably, there
will be times when I will not be available because of courses. For instance, I
will be on basic training in September and October. However, I will write as I
am able, and will continue to include family news.
Blessings…
~~~~~~~~~
While visiting in Shelburne a few weeks ago, I took the opportunity to take an
overnight canoe trip with two of my friends, Dan and Ron. Dan soloed his canoe
while Ron and I had another canoe, and we covered a little more than 20km of
the Roseway River.
The Roseway is a fun little river with flatwater
interspersed by sections of rapids. One section, Big Falls, is about 1
kilometre long and it involves tricky maneuvering between large rocks. This
time of year it is not dangerous, but it can be difficult to make it through
without getting stuck.
Ron and I got stuck and turned sideways several times. This
has happened to me in the past where water flooded over the upstream gunwale
and filled the boat. In fact, Dan and I swamped this way when we came down this
section the last time.
At best, swamping means we get wet. At worst, we wrap the
canoe around a rock in the middle of nowhere and lose gear.
I was determined not to let this happen. Every time we went
sideways, I did everything within my power to balance the boat and prevent the
upstream gunwale from dipping below the water. I tried to avoid the rocks that
might snag us. I shifted my weight. I
forced the downstream gunwale down. While we did get stuck on many rocks, we kept
the boat dry and intact.
I was reminded of the Bible’s teaching to keep ourselves
from sin. We are to be determined, doing everything we can to protect our
relationship with the Lord.
But you, man of God,
flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance
and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal
life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the
presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy
6:11-12*)
I love the verbs Paul uses because they show how determined
he is.
Flee…sin
Pursue…righteousness
Fight…the good fight
Grab…eternal life
These are not weak words, but rather they convey the
strength of the effort Paul calls us to. This is not “try hard, but don’t worry
about it.” This is FLEE, PURSUE, FIGHT, GRAB. Be determined.
As I paddled down those rapids, I thought about how hard I
was working to prevent the boat from filling, and saw this picture of working
hard to take hold of my Christian life. It helped me, and so I hope it helps
you.
Be on fire for God.
Troy
OnFire is a letter on faith and character written by Troy
Dennis. He is married to Jan and lives
in Moncton NB Canada. This letter published June 18, 2014. *New International
Version, 1984. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or reply, email onfireletter@gmail.com. Blog located
at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
