What About Him

On the spur of the moment we invited the kids over for hot dogs last Sunday evening. I wanted to get together and make a special evening for two of our grandsons who were leaving for the International Cadet Camporee in Canada.

Gideon and Cody's folks brought them to Pella to board two greyhound buses at 4 am on Tuesday morning for a 30 hour trip for Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Leaving and being gone for 10 days might have been harder for the mom's than for the boys worrying and wondering about them. Oh well, that's what mom's are for. Hope you guys are having fun.

Monday noon we celebrated Zac's 4th birthday. Sweet corn and birthday cake. I read a good quote this week by the late Dear Abby, "If you want your kids to turn out well spend twice the time with them and half the money on them."

Jan and I enjoyed a visit with friends and great landlords, Marv and Jean. About 45 years ago as a young teenager I used to babysit their kids.

Well Friday was to be a sweet corn morning. It was raining. We picked a Ranger load anyway and then backed it in front of the shop to husk it. Many hands make the job go fast and is more fun.

When we came in for lunch on Friday there was corn cooling in the living room in front of a fan with two little foot prints in it. Couldn't resist what that would feel like I guess. When the little people were asked who did it they said, not me, what about him.

Jan's father insisted we mount a seat complete with a seat belt on the fender of a non cab tractor for little riders. Kurt and helpers took care of that job.

We learned this week that one of Kurt's landlords has fast progressing brain cancer. Our prayers go out for Gene and Sandy and their family.

Our crew is planning and preparing for harvest. The weather will determine the timing however we hope to be ready to roll by Labor Day week, just five short weeks away.

My father-in-law stopped by a couple of times this past week. He has always been a go-getter and hard worker. He's 91 years old and mentioned to me in both visits that his days on earth are numbered. As we experienced this week not everyone dies old.

I lost a cousin yesterday afternoon. He died of a heart attack at 53 years old. My dad was the youngest of ten children. There are two left, him and Aunt Kay. Of the forty or so kids of those ten children I think we've only lost five. Robert and Jerry drowned in a pond accident in 1960. Kenny died around ten years ago. My brother Dan. And now Greg. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his father Uncle Harold, his wife Lorriane and family, his brothers Darryl and Jim, and his sister Nancy.

Death is sometimes sudden and seemingly so final. We never know when God says, "I want him". We all need to live as if our days are numbered because they are. In John 21 Jesus reinstates Peter after his resurrection. He tells Peter to follow Him. Peter looks at his friend John and asks Jesus, "what about him?" We are so like Peter sometimes.

I rarely get company early Sunday mornings. BJ and Cassia and family stopped to say good bye. They and Mike and Suzanne left this morning for Canada to pick up their boys.