20. A NEVER-SAY-DIE FATHER

When there is much to live for, the will to live is strong. The Apostle Paul lived life to the full for the Lord who had called him into the glorious Gospel ministry. Bound in chains because of envy of the Jews, he stood before the Roman governor Festus to plead his own cause. “For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them... ” (Acts 25:11 ).

Paul was neither afraid of death, nor was he unwilling to die, but only for the right cause. For His Master and for the Gospel’s sake, death was no deterrent. Read 2 Cor 11:23-27 . The Apostle had been “in deaths oft” from stonings, shipwreck and many a peril. But he was resolute, serving the Lord. If need be, he was ready to die for Him. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21 ).

If the Lord should call him, then “... to be with Christ is far better” (Phil 1:23 ). But as long as the Lord willed and enabled, Paul did not spare himself, but with vigour he pursued the one supreme object of serving the Lord. So he says, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14 ).

The Lord gave Father a fearless spirit to do and dare. In anything that he undertook it was only with the highest aspiration and for God’s glory. He lived his life always doing his utmost “for God and family, ” in the Pauline spirit.

He had courage of a rare kind, if it was for a worthy cause. At eleven years of age, he despised the decadent ways of the Manchu rulers and in defiance of their authority, he cut off his queue. At eighteen he enrolled in the revolutionary party of Dr Sun Yat Sen, and by twenty-two he was called into service by the Father of the Revolution, to go on a secret mission, hazarding life for country and cause.

Twice Father fell into enemy hands, and twice the Lord saved him from certain death at the eleventh hour.

In the spirit of Paul, Father prayed to the Lord, pleading his own cause. “If I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death I refuse not to die, but if there be none of those things whereof I am accused, then I know my God will deliver me. So help me, Lord. ”

God heard his prayer

Thank God for giving Father an indomitable spirit, not to take things “lying down” but to always look to the Lord for help. He found greatest hope from the Psalms of David who, in his time, was no stranger to danger from every quarter. Of particular encouragement was Psalm 34 , “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.... The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles... Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Ps 34:6-8 , 17 , 19 ).

In Father’s final near-death encounter with counter-revolutionary forces, the Lord delivered him by sending three total strangers — God’s angels. But for their help, Father would have lost his life and I would not be here today, for I was not yet born.

In all the drama, see the unseen hand of God leading Father, and hear the voice which whispered to him, “Go, drink water! ” Acting on that voice, Father moved with courage and obeyed. Therein we see the indomitable “never say die” spirit. The story of that great deliverance is told in Chapter Two.

Indeed, God helps those who help themselves. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ... ” ( 2 Cor 2:14 ).

During the Great Depression of the ‘thirties, that same spirit moved Father and Mother to act. Did not the Lord turn “... the heart of the king of Assyria... to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God... ”? (Ezra 6:22 ). Can God’s hand not also turn the heart of the authority in Johor to grant Father a licence to practise? Hear the words of Isaiah: “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (Is 59:1 ).

As the saying goes: “No venture, no gain. ” Never say die! Father plucked up courage, and with his friend Mr Lee, he went knocking on the door of the king. When the first door yielded no result, Father did not give up. With Mr Lee’s help, he went knocking a second time, on a higher door. Result: licence to practise was granted.

But before licence to practise was obtained, acute financial needs had to be addressed. Father and Mother thought to themselves: to sit idly and see the family starve would be sheer folly. Plucking up courage, Father left Senai to look up friends in Singapore for help.

“A friend in need is a friend in deed. ” Two friends were immediately forthcoming; others were unmoved. Father discovered who his real friends were. But he had to act.

Since his youth Father had developed dyspepsia (digestive disorder and pain). Through the years, he suffered many attacks of haemorrhage from a duodenal ulcer. Each attack left him anaemic and weakened. Mother would then nurse him back to health by using an old prescription of Chinese medicinal herbs, and feeding him with food suitable for him.

One particular incident remains imprinted in my memory. That episode of bleeding was arrested by the Chinese herbal brew prescribed by a certain Mr Lai from Canton days. “Two bowls of water boiled down to thee-quarters of a cup. ”

Father took the medicine daily for four consecutive days, and all bleeding was arrested. Careful feeding with bland food and soft nutritions diet brought back the colour to Father’s face.

But most important were the prayers of Mother and children. “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up... ” (James 5:15 ).

Throughout his sickness, Father continued to see patients at his bedside. “Get the patients to wash their feet, then conduct them upstairs for me to see them. ” This was determination, and it maintained our lifeline supply of daily bread.

Such was the spirit of never-say-die Father.

For his last years, Father was confined indoors. Big Sister had given him a sea-front apartment. There he started a Lord’s Day Believers’ Meeting with a regular dozen attending. In his house church he served the Lord until the end.

When he was eighty-six, I asked him to write for me Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer in his beautiful Chinese calligraphy. This he did with great effort, summoning all his mental and physical reserves. The two works of art went to print, and are now treasured in many homes.

Throughout the fifteen years of his residence in First Mansions, we visited him without fail, every Lord’s Day afternoon, to comfort him, and to encourage him to exercise. To strengthen his legs, I walked him up and down the living room for 20-30 minutes. This he did gamely, in his never-say-die spirit, until the last few months when his legs could no longer keep up. “The spirit was willing but the legs were weak. ”

Unlike Grandfather (who longed for heaven and prayed daily for God to take him Home), Father endeavoured his utmost to live on. But on Friday 2 February, 1979, I received a telephone call from him: “Siang Hwa, can you come and see me today? ” I sensed that the end was not far away.

Hurrying to his apartment, he was happy to see me. “I’d like to come and stay with you. ”

“Of course, Pa. ”

I arranged for an ambulance, prepared our Guest Room, and by mid afternoon he and Stepmother were comfortably settled. Surveying the garden view, Father smiled and clapped his hands.

Then he asked me, “After I go, where will Stepmother stay? ”

“In this room, naturally. ”

Father was visibly relieved.

Next morning, Saturday 3 February, a carload of his friends from Batu Pahat came visiting. He asked one Mr Lim, “Since you retired, has your son been supporting you? ” He was pleased when the reply was in the affirmative.

It was a warm and happy meeting. After prayer the group departed.

That night, Father took his last supper. At bedtime I gave him a cup of Milo. We prayed and I said, “Goodnight, Pa. ” That was 11 pm. He was very peaceful.

Lord’s Day 6am 4 February, 1979, Stepmother knocked on our door. “Your Father’s gone. ” Yes, asleep in Jesus. It was good that the Lord took him in his sleep, no fuss, no pain.

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Rev 14:13 ).

Thank God, Father was blessed with a never-say-die spirit by which he lived life to the full until the end. He had exceeded the proverbial threescore years and ten by twoscore years and two. All glory to God.