Bodie, Luther A.

RETIRED AT FORTY—NINE

I didn’t know it would happen to me
A forced retirement so unexpectedly.
Wife and I worked hard to better prepare,
That the Word of God we might declare.
I prayed to reach the upper sphere,
But now I couldn’t seem to care.

Although my goal was set afar,
There seemed to be no door ajar.
Born with an “inherently weak voice,”
I was left with no choice;
That is, if I were not to do amiss,
In blaming someone for all of this.

At forty-nine I should have been strong,
But I had no voice to speak for long;
And I had a constant pain of the spine,
From the second injury near thirty-nine.

For years I yearned to reach my goal;
The effects would have made joys unfold;
For many years we worked for the minimum set,
Which the Discipline required should be met.

From childhood I enjoyed singing a song;
And now I have no voice to sing for long.
But still I will preach a little somehow;
Thereby to my Lord I will keep my vow.

Because of the trouble with my voice,
I came to forty-nine with no other choice,
But to start life’s work all over again;
With prayer and toil that I might win.

Brother Bodie was preceded in death by his wife, Elah Shows Bodie and is survived by one son, L. Wendell Bodie of Baton Rouge.