Even prior to my arrival in Fort McMurray, northern Alberta, I heard the expression “Fort McMurray is the second largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador.” There certainly appears to be truth to that observation. I continue to meet many delightful “people from the rock”. Their zest for living and ear-catching brogue is unmistakeable. Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940) was a British medical missionary who administered to the medical needs of the out-porters of Newfoundland and Labrador. A quotation coming from Grenfell’s “A Labrador Logbook” (1938) reads as follows: “The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth.”
I may not be a physician, yet I desire to make a difference with what God has given me.
We do not choose the parents of our birth or the place of our birth. Yet we may choose a life of service to others no matter who our parentage or what our place of origin. We are uniquely shaped and equipped by God to serve. Legend has it that Sir Grenfell would dive into the frigid waters off the Newfoundland coast just to keep himself toughened up to meet the challenges of serving others!
I believe we are saved by the grace of God to serve this God of grace. We who live in oil sands country hear quite often of our “carbon footprint”. That is, how much energy does the average person use that is related to fossil fuels. Be that as it may, we also have a “caring footprint” to consider. How much energy do we expend in bettering the lives of others as it relates to their social, physical and spiritual needs? God blessed Sir Grenfell with seventy-five years of walking on planet earth, a good portion Newfoundland/Labrador. He made a difference in the well-being of others, all in the name of his Lord. I may not be a physician, yet I desire to make a difference with what God has given me. What notes are being recorded in our “Fort McMurray Logbook”? Dive in!