Co-Worker Letter – February 25, 1977

I am writing from Bucharest, Rumania. I am spending two or three weeks at the Otopeni Clinic, famous over all of Europe, recharging tired batteries.

I have kidded about being 37 going on 36. It is acknowledged by all, so far as I know, that I appear to be at least some 20 years younger than I actually am. I have said that not one man half my age (42) out of a hundred could keep up with the pace I do in God’s Work.

But there may have been a slight misunderstanding in some of this, and I wish to be utterly FRANK, and not to pretend. It is true, the dynamic power, energy and drive has been there. It is true that probably not one in a hundred half my age could do the work that I have been doing.

But what I feel most of you have NOT realized is that MUCH if not MOST of all that energy, vitality, drive and power has come from two sources – God, of course (Isa. 40:29-31), and sheer determination and SELF-drive, even when I did not feel up to it.

But it’s like one lady wrote to me years ago. “You may stand in that pulpit and preach with the energy and power of a 40 year old, but you must remember you are standing on 80-year-old legs.”

Under the STRENUOUS travel, with the continuous speeches before Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, etc., etc., besides numerous other meetings with leaders around the world, I have had to keep up constant writing, besides the OVERSIGHT of the entire vast worldwide Work.

Of course in the latter I have had the very able assistance of my son Garner Ted. I like to think of our relationship – and I think God looks upon it this same way – as in the very beginning, when there were only the TWO Great Supernatural Beings in existence – the WORD, who later became Jesus Christ, and God (John 1:1-3, 14). But although they were a TEAM working in perfect HARMONY, with one mind – that is each in perfect agreement with the other – God was the Leader over the WORD. When the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14) as Jesus Christ, He said, “My father is greater than I,” and He said He spoke only what the Father told him to speak. Yet THERE WAS PERFECT HARMONY, as between Garner Ted and me, and the Eternal God has delegated to me THE GREAT COMMISSION, to take the announcement of His true Gospel TO ALL THE WORLD, and I will leave no stone unturned to see that it is done.

I feel that God will continue renewing my youth and physical vigor and mental powers as long as necessary to get His job done. I have had to come to realize that this excessively arduous job of THIS NEW DIMENSION, getting into nations where doors were closed to the Gospel before, traveling the WHOLE WIDE EARTH – is one few could endure. While I was driving myself on, even in fatigue, my physical body was taking a beating.

There was a time when Jesus needed to take off a little time and go aside to a quiet place and get some rest. So I have decided I must do.

I am not here because of faith in man’s modern methods, but by faith, for all healing is in Christ – but being here in a position of enforced REST from strenuous routine and travel – keeps me in REGULAR HOURS of health-meals – and I cannot have this opportunity to recoup vitality while still traveling and constantly speaking. I have Dr. Lochner with me, giving me twice daily rubdowns (massages) and I get regular hours for sleeping. In a couple of weeks I’ll be back on the job as vigorously as ever.

My left ankle received a serious sprain three months ago, after speaking to a packed auditorium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. A sprain, as I have learned, is worse than a break. It seems to me mostly healed by now but is still far from being back to normal. I have had to learn to walk all over again, and still am a bit unsteady. But God is with me, and I NEED YOUR PRAYERS!

I have at least ten more years of vigorous active work needed to finish the Work that God has committed to me – or LESS, if God cuts time shorter, which is most likely!

Yesterday the idea came to mind to write a BOOK – it may become a series of articles – I hope in the new magazine QUEST/77 – a sort of opposite to the famous H. G. Wells book Outline of History. Such a book seriously needs to be written. I did manage yesterday to write out a synopsis OUTLINE of the 14 major chapters the book will require.

Meanwhile, news from Pasadena is that all is well. Our Great God is on His throne!