25 Years of Miracles Start Here

It’s been 25 years since Mother’s Day started being celebrated in our home. That first year, I bought my wife a little stuffed ducky that was decoratively placed inside a clear balloon. It was symbolic of our the baby she was carrying in her womb. That September, Our son would be born, but the impact of his mom had already begun in ways that we still find hard to quantify. 

The plan was for Amanda to be the career person. She was well educated, having completed her Masters degree; and she had just weeks before received an offer to work her dream job on Parliament Hill. Our plan was set...but God had another path for us to follow. 

The decision to want to be home with one, then two children, became the catalytic sacrificial decision through which our family would experience the assurance of being held by God no matter what life threw at us. 

A few years later when we felt the Lord calling us into full time ministry; we recognized that there would need to be a commitment to simplicity, stability and sacrifice in our home. 

Toward simplicity, she willingly agreed to move to an area of town that few still choose and we drove vehicles that took turns being the “good car”.  It’s still not much but it’s been home for almost twenty years, and we have become part of its community. 

Amanda provided the stability on the home front; always being home, available and encouraging for our children; getting involved in their school and figuring out ways to make a little $, by using her “extra” time to do bookkeeping and teaching piano. 

The sacrifices have been many: the personal wounds that come with life and life in ministry, should never be underestimated. The Lord has been our strength, despite the scars we bare. 

More significantly, the sacrifice that began twenty five years ago, was unceremoniously rewarded at the end of last month (April 2021). For twenty five years Amanda has been disciplined and determined to live with less. We started putting aside $ for our children on a monthly basis, from the time they were born. Even when we thought we couldn’t, we did. Especially when we felt the call to ministry, we committed to the Lord and each other not to allow our choices inhibit the opportunities for our children. Amanda saw that through. 

Along the way our family enjoyed more experiences than stuff, and valued more people than toys. We learned to care for pets and the disciplined responsibility of paper routes.  We daily acknowledged the grace and truth of Jesus; keeping our day to day world small while instilling a future focus that would present the world as limitless, for the gifting and talents that our children would possess. 

Sometimes people ask me if I believe in miracles. I can say with assurance that I have seen miracles unfold over these 25 years. Miracles that defy career planning, budget making, ethnic biases  and location limitations.  

Jarrett and Aynsley (I’ll write about them later) have been blessed with the intelligence, discipline, beauty and determination of their mom.  They are both equipped with far greater tools than I possessed at their age. The Lord and their mom, be praised. 

We give thanks to God for the trajectory of their lives and Kingdom possibilities that exist through them. We give thanks to God for his faithful and generous provision over these 25 years that have allowed them to see our country and travel the world, to attend out of town Universities and now to graduate with great distinction and (no small thing) debt free. It’s impossible to celebrate this milestone without celebrating Amanda, who provided the culture through which it became possible. 

There’s so much more that I could write about the woman with whom I am blessed to journey through life...but it all started with one decision to honour the Lord even when it was hard; and then the commitment to follow Him through it. 

Her name is Amanda Persad and she is AMAZING!