Remembering Nels, 10 years later

     

     “Of all the special blessings heaven sends, the greatest is being married to your best friend.”

 — Unknown   

     That truth became a bitter sweet memory once again, as this Thanksgiving season marked 10 long years without my Nels. Fifteen family members gathered around my table this year, all still very much aware of that empty chair. 

     

     The game Karen led us in, helped each of us remember in a jovial way, some of Nels' interesting traits. 

     Cherished memories and a poignant reminder of a special love that has filtered through the lives of those he has left behind. 

     Among the different ventures Nels was involved with over the years, one was as an employee of Sears Canada, mostly serving in management. 

     

     Recently, we are hearing that this Canadian company, which, at one time, was successful and popular, is now falling from grace. 

     I’m sure Nels would be saddened by the thought, as Sears helped put “bread and butter” on our table for 20 long years. 

     Nels was a long-term, dedicated employee of a then upright company, serving its clients well and with honesty. 

     At one time, Nels was manager of appliances in their Burnaby store. I still remember the special care he showered on his customers, as he personally delivered the warranty for their newly-bought appliance. He wanted to make sure they were completely satisfied with their major purchase. 

     Now among the many disappointments resulting from the company’s closure, there will be no more warranties granted. Wow! Now, my fairly new Sears Kenmore appliances gracing my kitchen are on their own. (So please don’t break down any time soon.) 

     With 65 years of being a household name across Canada, 12,000 long-term, dedicated employees of the once-great Sears are now left with an undesirable future. 

     

     Who, as kids, didn’t wait with bated breath for that Christmas WishBook to arrive in the mail? 

     It's just another reminder, that in life, nothing remains the same. But as life goes on, so must we, keep our resolve to be positive in spite of being barraged with mostly negativism in our daily news. 

     Someone correctly said, “We are living in a day of tangled thinking.” Never before have we seen such a casting aside of moral restraint, every day hearing of another prominent personality accused of sexual harassment. 

     Things that a generation ago were considered shocking are now accepted as commonplace occurrences. 

     

     The principal topic of conversation seems to be sex. 

     We could be called old-fashioned or puritanical if we speak against it. Also, the spirit of lawlessness prevails and revolutions have become, as one put it, “the spirit of the age.” 

     It seems every person wants to do what is right in his or her own eyes, beginning in the home where often there is very little discipline. 

     Without a voice of authority in the home, how can we expect our children to obey the voice of government and the laws of the land? 

   

     Lawlessness comes from hearts that are really rebelling against God, who is Love and Truth. The hope for it all, is the Man the world continues to reject — that God-man Jesus. 

     As we uphold Him, may we leave it to Him!  

     “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”   (Proverbs 14:34)

— beulah