sunset

The voice of an old pastor

Once upon a time, I stood on the podium with a loud voice, preaching messages and singing hymns;
Now, after a stroke, I am paralyzed, my speech is unclear, and it is difficult for me to sing loudly.
Once upon a time, as entrusted by God, I traveled around the world preaching the gospel;
Now, not only can I no longer fly, I can't even drive any longer.
Once upon a time, I walked to various gatherings with my head held high;
Now, I wait for others to support me and walk slowly.
Once upon a time, I ran around day and night, sleepless, for the needs of the sheep;
Today, my brothers and sisters may not know where I am.
Once, I led several special gatherings in succession and I was still in high spirits;
Today, I am getting older and can no longer stand alone for three minutes.

⋯⋯But, I am not discouraged!

As time goes by, like all old people, my health condition gets worse and worse. I spend most of my time in various doctors' clinics every day. However, "although the outer body is being destroyed, the inner heart is being renewed day by day." The eternal spiritual life within me, relying on the guidance of the Lord, not only does not decay, but also continues to grow. Every day, I can learn through new experiences and gain new insights.

In the past, I didn’t understand why others often complained when they looked good. When we meet, we talk about where there is pain or discomfort. Now, I can sympathize with people’s helplessness when suffering from illness, and can encourage others with appropriate words. Moreover, God helps me face the deterioration of my body with humor - only the remaining I have vision in one eye, which I jokingly call “clear at a glance”; my hair keeps falling out, and I remind myself not to be “lawless”.

In the past, I often went door-to-door to preach the gospel; now, although I cannot go out, postmen, deliverymen, plumbers, and heating workers will come to our homes. God still has a way for me to contact people. Spread the gospel.

In the past, I was busy with many things to do; now, my life is slow and I often wake up in the dead of night. I have a lot of time to enjoy the quietness before God and pour out my heart to Him; I can also reflect on this life in detail, I discovered many graces that I had never noticed before, and my heart was filled with joy and satisfaction!

thank God! Because of Jesus Christ, I was given new and eternal life,
Let me still be full of hope when I grow old!

thank God! Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, help me learn to see things from God’s perspective.
So that I can have a different life!

thank God! Because He loves me, has mercy on me, and is with me!

Author profile

Lichen, was born in Chiayi, Taiwan, in 1959 and lives in Taipei City. After graduating from the Biology Department of the Normal University in 1981, he taught in middle schools for five years before coming to the United States.

In church, Lichen mostly ministers to teenagers and children. I like flower arranging (learning Japanese Ikebō-ryu ikebana) and handicrafts on weekdays.

For Lichen, the most important thing in life is to seek God’s will and guidance and learn to be more like Jesus.