It’s been ten years since Dr Francis Nigel Lee, my old college professor, died of Motor Neurons Disease, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and went to be with the Lord.
I
post them in Dr Lee’s memory…
Hi,
I
spent over an hour with Dr Lee this morning (21 September 2011). I informed him
that you all were praying for him, which he appreciates. He entered the room
(where Dr Lee’s wife had sat me down) with a shuffling gait and in quiet and
slightly slurry tones wished me a good morning. He has trouble speaking and it
tires him.
He
had tears in his eyes, probably on account of and in response to the tears that
had begun welling up in my eyes, as he told me (upon my asking) about his
present condition and its dreadful prognosis. Two years! He has been seen by
the head specialist in this field in Australasia.
I
tried to be upbeat and thanked him for guiding me along the rock-solid path of
Calvinism and the Reformed Faith. We spoke of the good times during my college
years. We had a laugh. I reminded him of the time he used to (to the
consternation of a couple of the students!) bring a nun (habit and all!) along
to hear him whenever he preached at the college chapel. Little things like this
spoke volumes to me as he taught me (by word and by example) how to handle the
Sword of the Spirit.
Yes,
he remains strong in the Lord and with his wife Nellie is trusting Him – come
what may.
Another
minister and his wife (who I know) showed up about twenty minutes or so after I
had arrived. He was Dr Lee’s minister till a couple of years or so ago – before
he (the minister) moved on. We ended our time together with the minister
praying. He covered everything I would have prayed for.
Also,
Dr Lee has difficulty getting heavy books off shelves etc. So, he is grateful
for the help he is getting with the citation references for his upcoming e-book
“Certain Victory.” Certain
Victory! The Biblical View of the Future - Nordskog Publishing He seems to
regard his “Early Genesis” as his magnum opus and would love to see
it published.
Neil.
Hi,
I
visited Dr Lee this morning (26 October 2011). It had been just over a month
since my last one. His condition has deteriorated. He was in bed, though he
does manage (with help) to rise and have breakfast and also sit for a spell at
his computer by, with, and through which he communicates best.
His
wife, Nellie, manhandled him so that he could face me, then she left us alone
in the bedroom. He is receiving therapy for it, but his speech was very
difficult for me to understand. His throat, he says, feels very dry.
We
talked for about fifteen minutes, with me doing most of it. I remarked about
the repair job that he had just recently done to his front path. I commented on
the spider and her web that she had spun across the garden path to his door. I
reminded him that he used talk fondly of the (this?) spider and her web when he
taught us at theological college. He used the critter to illustrate
industriousness and (Brucian) perseverance.
We
talked about his medical condition which he says will progressively worsen. I
was talking to Nellie afterwards and she said that they were getting a
wheelchair for Dr Lee, but were having trouble knowing which type to get as Dr
Lee’s condition seems to be worsening so rapidly.
Before
I prayed for Dr Lee I mentioned that Jerry (Nordskog) was reminiscing in an
email to me about the two different times Dr Lee was speaking in California at
functions Jerry was involved with. I told him that the “Nordskog Publishing
Team” was praying for him and that Judge Roy Moore was praying for him, as were
(my brother) Fearghas and many others. At this point he moved his arms slightly
above his head and with tears he said, “I am not worthy!” at which point I told
him (with tears streaming down my cheeks) that he had impacted for good so many
thousands of lives, myself being one – that his Christian material was
disseminating all over the Internet.
I
thanked him for his Christian diligence, his faithfulness, and all his hard
work. I told him that I loved him in the Lord. I prayed for him, thanking God
for His grace, mercy, and compassion shown towards sinners such as us in our
Master, Jesus Christ, and for the gifts that He has given Dr Lee. I focussed on
the New Heavens and New Earth and our future resurrection, our new bodies and
our Saviour dwelling bodily in our midst on the New Earth – the time of no more
tears, nor pain, nor sorrow, nor death. When I was finished Dr Lee insisted
that he would pray for me. I understood him to be thanking God for me and
asking Him to bless me.
Before
leaving I spoke to Nellie. I asked her how she was coping. She was upbeat and
glorified God. I departed and had a good solid manly cry in the privacy of my
car on the thirty minute drive home.
What
a great yet humble man God has given us in Dr Lee!
Neil
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