A few weeks ago, a very important man in my life passed away. His name was Karl Schneider. He was my father-in-law, and at 93 years of age, Heaven knocked and he went through the door into eternity. He left his home to join His Lord in His home. I will miss him but I am confident that I will see him again.
Though Karl may have been small in stature, he was a great man in depth and influence. He was a second Dad to me, and I will never forget the impression that he left upon my life and family. I looked up to him. It was an honour to know him. He was a man’s man, and he knew as a WW II veteran what it meant to be willing to lay down his life for God and country.
I treasure the times I had with him, listening to the faith that moved him, learning about the values that he carried deep in his soul, entering with him into the stories of life that moved him. Honouring God, family, country and church was important to him. He was a man of principle, a man of integrity, and a man who understood the cost of personal sacrifice.
When one thinks that out of the 600,000 Canadians that fought in WWI 64,944 gave their lives, it is astounding. One of every ten soldiers who left Canadian soil did not return. Twenty-five percent returned injured physically, and many came back emotionally and psychologically devastated. WW II lasted a similar length of time, taking 44,198 lives. Thankfully, in eight years of conflict, Afghanistan losses are slight in comparison (152). Read the rest of this entry »
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