Queen promotes Captain Tom Moore in heart-warming honour as the £33m NHS fundraising hero turns 100
Captain Tom Moore will celebrate his 100th birthday today with a letter from the Queen and a promotion.
This was banner across many British newspapers looking for positive news in a country drowning in Covid stress and grief.
We first met Tom several weeks ago when he was walking lengths of his large garden, uniform on, medals swinging heavily from his chest. With a walking stick on the handlebars, hunched over his walking frame, Tom was determined to reach 100 laps by his hundredth birthday. Then, as money rolled in to support the cause he was determined to help, Tom's kept walking.
The World War II veteran will be made the first Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College, Harrogate. There are also be two flypasts to mark the day - by Army Air Corps helicopters and a Spitfire and a Hurricane. The latter are significant planes for Tom. 75 years ago, the skies over Britain were busy with Spitfires and Hurricanes raiding, dropping bombs and destroying British towns.
This week, (while schools are closed with Covid Isolation measures enforced,) hundreds of thousands of birthday cards have been sent to Bedford School, near the World War II veteran's home. People from around the world have recognised Tom's outstanding fund-raising efforts. He is walking to provide necessary equipment, support and comfort for the heroic medical staff who are front-line and at serious risk. Britain is again at war. This time their country is battling the horrifying disaster which Covid is causing.
Tom was just another War hero before the 'Walk for NHS' started. Now he has become an international star after raising more than £34 million for the NHS in battle against Covid-19. He is also featured singing on a chart-topping number. He was invited by Michael Ball to sing along with the Charities Choir. Their lovely rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' can be heard if you Google Tom Moore. He was also been made an honorary member of the British Cricket Federation. We may never experience such worldly recognition as Tom for the 'good deeds' which we quietly perform. But we don't do them for accolades and 'brownie points'. We are simply living lives pleasing to God. We are obeying the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." And we know that, when we "do all to the glory of God’', He will see our secret actions, and reward us in His own good time and way.
That is reward enough for me. I eagerly await God's welcome, and hope He will say "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the presence of your Lord."
May we all spread His light and love this week.
Blessings,
Rose Francis
RSS Feed