TRIBUTE TO COLIN MALCOLM SHEDDEN, A MAN OF FAITH, FAMILY AND FUN

COMMITTAL AND TRIBUTE TO COLIN MALCOLM SHEDDEN

Created by Ross Cochrane for the funeral of Colin Malcolm Shedden using Animato, Imovie and Paint.net

Just before Christmas, on the 23^rd December, my Father-in-law died, the man I most respected in the world. On new years Eve we gathered in a Church with close to 300 people to say goodbye to a man we all loved and cherished. In the middle of holidays, still they came to say goodbye and pay their respects.

Colin Malcolm Shedden; Dad; Pa; Great Pa was a Christian accountant. Everyone knew he was a man who lived out his personal faith in Christ. He even kept a Bible on his desk, and was not ashamed to lead people to a personal faith in Christ, if the opportunity presented itself. His identity was characterised by Faith, Family and Fun. In the past we have laughed and celebrated together as a family until we cried, and yesterday we cried together in grief at his loss as we celebrated his life.

Accountancy relates well to being a Christian. Since maths was such an important part of his life, let me count out the ways.

1. ABSOLUTES

An accountant is one of those practitioners, who work according to a given set of rules of maths and measurements. Clients disclose information to him and he helps people manage finances and tax so that they can make wise decisions for the future.

He took his Bible even more seriously than his calculator. The Bible gave him absolute laws with which he could assess his life. Aligning his life and character with God’s Word he was able to make wise decisions for his marriage, business, family and Church. His life was centred around Christ and the serving Christ through the Church.

2. TRUST AND INTEGRITY

You have to trust your accountant. Colin was a man we knew we could trust implicitly. He was an honest man who took his Christian ethics seriously in his business and his business prospered because he was a man of integrity. David carries on that legacy.

3. PLANNING

He planned for the future, even planning out his own funeral service. He always lived with the expectancy that Christ may return this year. Bible prophecy was very important to him and he would share every article and book he read on the end times with me and others. The Herald of Hope was always offered. He planned ahead for life and eternity.

He wanted 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 read at his funeral.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NLT)

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. 

4. PROFIT AND LOSS 

The two main reports in accountancy are the Profit and Loss account and the Balance Sheet. Dad would say “what would it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul.”

He was always so excited to hear when one of the family had responded to Christ. I loved his conservative values and he not only balanced the books but balanced fun with faith, and love with integrity. He regarded the greatest asset of his life to be knowing Christ and serving Him.

5. INVESTMENT 

His investment into the life of this family is his legacy of Faith, Family and Fun.

He continues to invest in our lives. He has been to me the finest example of a Christian husband, father, grandfather that I have ever seen. His consistency, his love, his character, his faith.

We placed tributes on the casket and took time to say our goodbyes to Colin, Dad, to Pa, to Great Pa in our own way we all gave thanks to God for his life.

Someone said If you want an accounting of your worth, count your friends. I am richer for having known and loved my Father in law. We all are.

“Lord we commit our Colin into Your hands. We thank You for his life and the privilege of knowing him and loving him”

 Pastor Ross