Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt
Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt
of their draft… of course, we lads always enjoyed doing whatwe shouldn’t!The next temptation, when we caught up to the lorry, was to putour hand out and hold onto the back, keeping out of the sight ofthe driver. Now we could have a free, effortless ride as the lorrypulled us along.One day, as I was enjoying a ride at the back of a big lorry, itsuddenly accelerated, pulling me clean out of the saddle of mybicycle. My bicycle veered off to the left, leaving me, like somevisionary angel flying through the stratosphere, clinging to theback — and the lorry was gaining speed! I knew the longer Ihung on, the worse things were going to be. So, I let go, crashingonto the road. With knees and hands bleeding, I went home andtold my mother a pack of lies so she wouldn’t know what I hadbeen up to.Early in life, I learned the power of the unseen law of gravityover me. Today, when I go to America, I do not fall into theAtlantic Ocean; when I go to Australia, I do not fall out of thesky. Why can I now, as a man, flout a law which so overwhelmedme as a boy?The answer is that the law of aerodynamics supersedes, cancelsthe lesser law of gravity. The power of the forward thrust is greaterthan the power of the downward pull. The Bible describes thisprinciple in Romans 8: “For the law of the Spirit of life in ChristJesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”Boat ride with Aunt Edie in Cullercoats BayWhen I was about 12 years old, while my mother and fatherwere away for a weekend, they left me in the care of one of myaunts, Auntie Edie. I loved my Auntie Edie and she loved me andwould often buy me chocolate elephants and all kinds of gifts.On this weekend, we went down to Cullercoats Bay to enjoy abeautiful sunshiny day.Auntie Edie said, “Oh, I would love to go out in a boat, but Ihave never learned to row.”196
Big (in my own eyes), pompous Arthur said, “It is easy. If youwould like to go out in a boat, Auntie, I’ll take you.” Now, all Iknew was the theory. I had never rowed a boat in my life, but Ithought I knew all about it. You just put the oars in, you pullthem, and you go. So we went down to where this old salt, withhis fluffy white whiskers, his peak cap, and his blue jersey, rentedus a boat.Cullercoats Bay has two piers, which enclose the bay. Within thebay it is reasonably calm. Beyond the piers, you are on the choppyopen sea. Auntie Edie and I got into the boat and I took the oars.It was just as I thought. I put the oars in, pulled them, and webegan to move through the water. Everything was fine.I began to pull across the bay, Auntie loving it… until we rowedout between the two piers. Immediately, the water becamechoppy. I got broadside to the waves, and the boat began torock wildly.“Oh dear,” Auntie said. “What’s happening?”“It’s all right,” I calmed her and began to pull out into the sea.Soon, impudent waves began pouring water into the boat, whilebroadside on, I was desperately trying to turn.“Shall we go back?” Auntie asked.I managed to get back into the harbor, when suddenly, an angryvoice emitting from a bald head in the water started cursing me.“Look out!” roared the swimmer who glared and shouted cursesat us as we narrowly missed him.I rowed on right into the path of a boatload of fishermen in amotorboat just coming into the bay. A man on the bow cuppedhis hands and shouted, “Ship your oars! Ship your oars!”I didn’t know for certain what he meant. The fishing boat wascoming straight into the side of us when I pressed on my oar, andit went up into the air. The motorboat passed us so closely thattwo of the men in it had to duck their heads as they passed undermy oar, while again, we heard a flurry of choice language.By this time, Auntie was getting worried. “Are...are we all right?”197
- Page 153 and 154: A hard lesson in SwedenThe truth ma
- Page 155 and 156: Andrew was upset about our move.
- Page 157 and 158: I saw that I am sometimes guilty of
- Page 159 and 160: ut on Christmas night, they returne
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- Page 163 and 164: through his whole life like a hot k
- Page 165 and 166: Stevie, what was the story Uncle Ar
- Page 167 and 168: 11 The Proceeding WordA party of pe
- Page 169 and 170: I was ministering in Portsmouth and
- Page 171 and 172: same string. The three of us moved
- Page 173 and 174: airport. I wondered if anyone would
- Page 175 and 176: and praising God, while Sister Wall
- Page 177 and 178: piano to a dead cat — or if, perc
- Page 179 and 180: Just then, rain began to fall softl
- Page 181 and 182: I told him to drop me off at the bu
- Page 183 and 184: I discovered this, I didn’t inven
- Page 185 and 186: Clockwise from right:1. Mickey the
- Page 187 and 188: 12 Climb the Mountain!On my first t
- Page 189 and 190: leave, and then had begun pelting m
- Page 191 and 192: There shall be no ebb. This is sign
- Page 193 and 194: my ministry. Originally, God had sp
- Page 195 and 196: I walked up the drive to this house
- Page 197 and 198: — broken drains, damp basement
- Page 199 and 200: Then the phone rang. It was Harry B
- Page 201 and 202: 13 These Foolish ThingsWhen I was f
- Page 203: “Go away! Go away!” Pam demande
- Page 207 and 208: I thought I knew the voice of God a
- Page 209 and 210: This reminds me of the old story of
- Page 211 and 212: drive all the way to the Convention
- Page 213 and 214: I got on the plane and looked at th
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- Page 217 and 218: 14 Far & AwayEl SalvadorWhen I was
- Page 219 and 220: It’s easy for a missionary to go
- Page 221 and 222: we had been during those hours, exc
- Page 223 and 224: “Are you all right brother? Do yo
- Page 225 and 226: I picked it up and went back to the
- Page 227 and 228: “The porter just picked up my lug
- Page 229 and 230: doesn’t really do much for your i
- Page 231 and 232: 15Crumbs from aBroken LoafIt is for
- Page 233 and 234: Joy came to me one day and asked me
- Page 235 and 236: “Oh,” he sputtered, “of cours
- Page 237 and 238: He says, “Are you telling me, you
- Page 239 and 240: ly that the message the Spirit of G
- Page 241 and 242: that they’re wonderful. But then
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Big (<strong>in</strong> my own eyes), pompous <strong>Arthur</strong> said, “It is easy. If youwould like to go out <strong>in</strong> a boat, Auntie, I’ll take you.” Now, all Iknew was <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ory. I had never rowed a boat <strong>in</strong> my life, but Ithought I knew all about it. You just put <strong>the</strong> oars <strong>in</strong>, you pull<strong>the</strong>m, and you go. So we went down to where this old salt, withhis fluffy white whiskers, his peak cap, and his blue jersey, rentedus a boat.Cullercoats Bay has two piers, which enclose <strong>the</strong> bay. With<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>bay it is reasonably calm. Beyond <strong>the</strong> piers, you are on <strong>the</strong> choppyopen sea. Auntie Edie and I got <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> boat and I took <strong>the</strong> oars.It was just as I thought. I put <strong>the</strong> oars <strong>in</strong>, pulled <strong>the</strong>m, and webegan to move through <strong>the</strong> water. Everyth<strong>in</strong>g was f<strong>in</strong>e.I began to pull across <strong>the</strong> bay, Auntie lov<strong>in</strong>g it… until we rowedout between <strong>the</strong> two piers. Immediately, <strong>the</strong> water becamechoppy. I got broadside to <strong>the</strong> waves, and <strong>the</strong> boat began torock wildly.“Oh dear,” Auntie said. “What’s happen<strong>in</strong>g?”“It’s all right,” I calmed her and began to pull out <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> sea.Soon, impudent waves began pour<strong>in</strong>g water <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> boat, whilebroadside on, I was desperately try<strong>in</strong>g to turn.“Shall we go back?” Auntie asked.I managed to get back <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> harbor, when suddenly, an angryvoice emitt<strong>in</strong>g from a bald head <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> water started curs<strong>in</strong>g me.“Look out!” roared <strong>the</strong> swimmer who glared and shouted cursesat us as we narrowly missed him.I rowed on right <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> path of a boatload of fishermen <strong>in</strong> amotorboat just com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> bay. A man on <strong>the</strong> bow cuppedhis hands and shouted, “Ship your oars! Ship your oars!”I didn’t know for certa<strong>in</strong> what he meant. The fish<strong>in</strong>g boat wascom<strong>in</strong>g straight <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> side of us when I pressed on my oar, andit went up <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> air. The motorboat passed us so closely thattwo of <strong>the</strong> men <strong>in</strong> it had to duck <strong>the</strong>ir heads as <strong>the</strong>y passed undermy oar, while aga<strong>in</strong>, we heard a flurry of choice language.By this time, Auntie was gett<strong>in</strong>g worried. “Are...are we all right?”197