To Val, Chelsea, Jason and Julie, Christopher and Maribeth, it is an honour for me as your minister to share some of my thoughts with you on this day of celebration for Andrew.
Scripture reading – Taken from Psalm 139
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Isn’t God amazing! That’s something the psalmist David marvels at in this passage of scripture.
Life is the sum of experiences that we encounter as we go through life. Day to day struggles and triumphs are experienced by all of the world’s creatures. As human beings, when we encounter a challenge, we have freedom to choose how to react. Every decision that we make leads us down a different road. We will never come to exactly the same crossroads. Every decision that we make has significance. The tiniest choice that we make echoes throughout the entire universe.
Andrew’s life, his accomplishes, and the legacy he has left behind is echoing through this entire country and beyond.
Andrew was a giving, caring, selfless person who always thought of others before himself. I know that this foundation came from the home Andrew was raised in. Rick and Val taught all three of their boys core Christian values, which included hope, humility, caring, love, and putting God first in their lives. As Andrew grew, these values were a part of who he became.
Thirty-seven years doesn’t seem long enough and now there is so much pain, so much grief in the loss of a life of a man who gave so much. But, in respect to those 37 years, Andrew didn’t waste one of them. His legacy lives on in the foundations he worked with, the men and women he called his friends and co-workers and comrades, the people that he upheld in his line of service, for the down trodden he helped out along the way, and for the wonderful memories he left behind in the hearts of all of you who loved him.
To Val, Chelsea, Jason and Julie, Christopher and Maribeth and Chelsea’s family, my thoughts and prayers are with each of you. You know how much he loved each of you. May God bless you, comfort you, and give you peace, hope, joy, and love in the days ahead.
To Andrew, your church, your friends, and your neighbours of Hagersville and surrounding areas are so proud of you. “Our Hero, Rest in Peace.”
In God’s Love, Peggy
