Close to the End of the Trail

Monday December 5th my Dad had a stroke. He is going on 92 year young. He lives in Kelowna, B.C. about one days car travel from me, West towards Vancouver B.C. The lady we hired to help look after him in the last 4 years, told me today he does not look good, the light in his eyes is dimming. She was crying as she told me.

I was hoping my Dad might live to be 100, but not many of us make it to that age.

So this could be the homeward stretch for my Dad. My Mom dies at age 73 in 1994.

As I look back in my memory, the most important thing of all the good things they did for me in my life, was to send me to a Church of England school at age 5. The first day of school each of us were given a KJV Bible. That first day and all school days after right through grade 12, the first half hour of each day was with the Bible. On that very first day we opened and read the first chapter of Genesis.

I was born in South Wales, and literally next door was a field, with trees, one being this large rugged old tree; there was the grass, the birds, the butterflies, a stream and a few horses. Even age 3 and 4, I was mesmerized by nature - it was beautiful and wondrous, the stars at night captivated me, all nature captivated me. So when in that first half hour of the first day of school (grade one - we start at age 5 in Britain), I read: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth........" oh it was like a light went off in my head...... "that is it I thought, it is God, out in the universe somewhere, that made and created all I see around me." At that age 5, I then had NO DOUBT in my mind, God DOES EXIST, and this planet is His handiwork, the creation around me spoke to me that the Mighty Eternal God existed. There was no question in my mind about why we are here on this planet.

As the years went by, with this half hour in the Bible each school day, I got to know more and more about God, and then eventually about Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, Immanuel - God in the flesh, who came to earth as a man,  to live a perfect live, to overcome sin, and because of that He can be our Savior, so we accepting Him as personal Savior, could be forgiven our sins, and inherit eternal life in the very Family of God. As I grew older and read the Gospels, all of that became very clear to me.
Attending Sunday School just added more to my spirituality. I think I was maybe around about 9 or 10 when Jesus became my personal Savior. Someone gave me a "red letter" New Testament, and I would before going to sleep read the words of Christ. I cannot remember how many times I read the words of Christ during my teens but it was dozens of times. I was led to see from His words and from the first chapter of Acts,  that Jesus would one day return bodily and literally to this reach to rule all nations.

I found the words of Christ simple and easy to understand; it's was a case of just reading them and believing them - that simple. No degree in theology needed.

I thank my Dad as apparently (found out many years later) it was him who wanted me to go to a church school. That was the biggest blessing he and my mother did for me.

I am an only child, but was never spoilt, I did not get some things I wanted; I had to wait for other things I wanted; but overall I was blessed with the things a boy in England likes. I got my first musical instrument at age 8 - the uke banjo - like a 4 stringed Tenor banjo but with the neck half as long. Learned to strum some chords from the instruction book that came with it. I got my two-wheeler bike about age 10. My parents gave me pocket money each week. I saw the first guitar I wanted at age 11; my Dad said, "Well son you have your pocket money, save up and buy it." So I indeed did; the guy in the store said he would keep it for me until I had the money. My that was a thrill to walk in and buy my first guitar. With my pocket money I signed up for the "Charles Atlas Health and Strength" course - what a blessing that was, I was 14, I believe at that time. I sent for correspondence lessons on how to play the "steel guitar" and they provided me with the steel guitar - my those were top rated lessons from a Music School in London - what a blessing. Oh yes when young I had my electric train set, my soccer ball and boots (became captain of my High School soccer team); I had my "cricket bat" (a real good one) and cricket pads etc.  I was in the Boy Cubs and then Boy Scouts till I was 17, my oh my that was good fun and instructive. I was on the school's athletics team, specializing in the 100 and 220 yards dash, and all through school years only lost one race in those distances. Did a little cross-country and actually did win one to my surprise, as being a sprint lad really. I enjoyed school and enjoyed "writing" - learning how to sentence, punctuate, paragraph, and give a message to others, the art of writing is to really be able to communicate with people through words, and how to get across a message so people can follow and understand. I had no idea at the time that God was preparing me for His work in years to come.

Through my adult life I've had finance problems at times, not through being unwise, but just how life can come at you sometimes. My Dad was always there to help me out, if I really needed some help.

My Dad up until I was 11, worked a night shift, 12 hour nights, and sometimes none stop for 9 months. That was often the case during those years, until he was promoted to the day shift and then manager over a large section of his firm. Hence during those first 11 years of my life I was very close to my Mom, spending evenings together, talking, watching some TV, and just being good pals.

So it has been a pleasure this last 4 years for me to pay $240 a month (and my Dad $200) so we could hire a lady across the hall in his apartment to look after him somewhat (take grocery shopping and doctors appointments and the like). I had all the good physical things as a child growing up, so it was time to pay back.

With a stroke no one knows how long my Dad may yet live for, but he will now have to go into a 24/7 facility for the rest of his life.

He's had a good life; wrote his life story about 10 years ago. When he is no longer here, I'll upload most of it to my website.

For now it is day by day....but it's looking like my Dad is coming close to the end of the trail where he will rest until the white throne judgment resurrection. Nearly 92 he is.....wow I pray the Lord will give me that many years if not more, as I want to do His work of the Gospel for a few more decades or more, unless Jesus returns before then.

I'll inform you when my Dad comes to the end of his trail.
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