Commissioner Harry Read was appointed to the Canada and Bermuda Territory when we were in CFOT being trained as cadets, and he was an immediate hit with our group. He was personable, funny, witty and had a communication style that kept us engaged, whatever the occasion.

He made a significant impact upon my thinking, and I saw in him all the good that could be had in Salvation Army officership and the work to be undertaken by a leader. He was not rattled easily – wish I could say that of me in my early days, nor was he one to be taken advantage of. He served with grace and strength.

His history made him a unique man and we benefited from knowing him.

He now rests with that generation awaiting the resurrection. But he had some good words about aging which I share here.

This ageing process moves relentlessly;
it seems as though a day past yesterday
Was when I sought and found true liberty,
My few emerging gifts allowed full say.

But now, with movements slow and wearisome –
Aware that energy has evanesced
I march to life slow, intermittent drum
And, by the simplest of things, I am hard pressed.

But age is not dependent on the mind.
The Spirit helps to keep us ever young,
The Spirit’s power is us is unconfined
And tunes our hearts to Heaven’s timeless song.

I cannot older be than timeless grace
Then, up and on, I must run Heaven’s race.

Harry Read

These are his words on aging and some of us will be able to read these words and hear his voice reading them.

Aging – for the courageous I feel. And yet aging is just part of the overall life experience. Perhaps the gift of aging is no longer worrying about what needs to be accomplished, other than keeping mind and body active. Aging let’s us be more settled in our own skin, more confident of who we are. We have become someone – a different version of our younger self.

And with the gift of The Holy Spirit, we can settle confidently into the knowledge that He holds us in the palm of His hand. We are his – the sheep of His pasture, the People of His Kingdom.

Trusting God never stops. But maybe we are a bit less distracted as we age.