God leads us along

I attended a memorial service of Pastor Derek Tan, Former President of TCA, the bible school which I graduated from. It was a night of remembering. The fondest memory I have of him was his sense of humour. Last night, a lecturer of the bible school gave her eulogy, his sense of humour once again surfaced. On his hospital bed, he asked his fellow colleague to bring him some good food. When asked what he would like to eat, he asked for sharks' fins. Food and humour.

As I sat where I was listening to the eulogies, I asked myself, what a person be most remembered for? For Pastor Derek Tan, he will always be remembered for his kindness and graciousness, beyond all that he has accomplished, a man like him will always be remembered by how he has treated others. No hint of ranks lurks each time I sit in his room after a semester ends to discuss which courses I should be taking for the next semester. He would talk to me like how would talk to a friend. I will always remember his reassuring smile and his fatherly disposition.

Here is a man who has ran the race and finished it. It's not how long we lived but how well we lived. Cliche but true. At age 54, it seems that it is only the beginning of enjoying good things but God had decided that he has finished what he was tasked and God is taking him home.

It's a good reminder that my life belongs to God and for the Christian, death is only but the beginning of total liberty from sin and pain. Separation from loved ones on earth is only temporary, we'll see each other again.

The hymn below is Pastor Derek favourite hymn. I went to do a search and realized that George A Young, composer of this hymn has a story to tell:

"Young was an ob­scure 19th Cen­tu­ry preach­er and car­pen­ter who spent a life­time hum­bly serv­ing the Lord in small rur­al com­mun­i­ties. Of­ten his fi­nan­cial sup­port was small, and it was hard on his fam­i­ly. But through all the ups and downs his faith­ful wife nev­er wav­ered in her loy­al­ty to God and to her hus­band. Af­ter a long strug­gle, the fam­i­ly was able to move in­to their own small home (which George built him­self). But then, on an oc­ca­sion when George was away preach­ing, some lo­cal thugs—who didn’t like his Gos­pel preaching—set fire to the house, and it was to­tal­ly de­stroyed. It was out of that ex­per­i­ence that Young re­af­firmed his faith in God by writ­ing God Leads Us Along."

God Leads Us Along

In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.

Refrain

Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along.

Refrain

Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.

Refrain

Away from the mire, and away from the clay,
God leads His dear children along;
Away up in glory, eternity’s day,
God leads His dear children along.

Refrain

This was probably the only hymn he wrote, yet it reflected the reality of life and faith, of God's leading and of not always having a smooth ride despite his leading.

The race need not be one that is glorious, it needs to be finished with a heart of obedience, regardless of what. What will I be remembered for?