Lead kindly Light

The days, months, years and decades roll on with increasing speed. Hard to believe my wife and I have been retired almost 17 years. We locked our office doors at International Headquarters London at the end of May 1997 to return to our home in Singapore to continue with our ministry.

Age catches up on us; the different parts of the body are weakening and need repair, I mean medical attention. Thank God we have excellent medical facilities in Singapore.

I had a bad toothache for a week. This morning I went to see the dentist and she advised that it should be extracted. So one more part of body has gone - yes my poor tooth. Everything has its limited shelf life. There is an expiry date written on life's package.

As I sat in the dentist's chair the words of John Henry Newman's hymn "Lead kindly light" came to my mind. I was staring at the dentist's light above me and singing in my heart.

"Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
    Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark and I am far from home,
   Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
  The distant scene -
One step enough for me.

We must accept the fact that we are but dust and to dust we shall return Genesis 3: 19. I want to live well the remaining days of my life, one step at a time. Frankly I don't worry about money and material things. I live one day at the time and like the poet, admit, "I do not want to see the distant scene, one step enough for me."

"Lord, thank You for giving me these eighty plus years; well past the 'three score years and ten' as stated in Your word. Thank You for the days of sunshine and the days of shadow and darkness. I do not ask to see the distant scene, for I know with You I am safe. Lord, I give you back my life now to guide and control. I am in Your hands."