PERSONAL TESTIMONY

I was not found in the bulrushes as some have proclaimed but I was born in Birmingham. I started my school days in St Anne’s Junior RC School in Digbeth and went on to pass my eleven plus and went to Handsworth Technical School before spening my last two years at the Rosary RC School. I was the second eldest of six children having three brothers and two sisters. Dad was a British Rail worker and worked long hours to ensure we kids had as much as we needed. Mom is and was a housewife who had enough to do watching over us kids. Dad has now passed away and has entered heaven to be reunited with his family and my younger brother David who died so tragically a couple of years before.

At fifteen I started work at the steam sheds in Saltley Birmingham. I started out as an engine cleaner, labourer and then a fireman on wonderful steam trains. It was not long before steam had completely finished and soon I would be made redundant and put back as a guard. Later I got back on the footplate as a traction trainee on diesels.

It was when working as a fireman I met my first wife Linda with whom I had two wonderful children Lisa and Matthew but through unfortunate circumstances we ended the marriage and divorced.

I had a disc removed from my back due to an accident and had to move away for promotion as I could no longer couple the engine to the coaches. I started my driving career at Selhurst Depot in April 1973 and I believe I was the youngest driver on British Railways at the time.

It was when working at Selhurst I met my present wife Julie who gave me another wonderful child Tom-Leigh and we still remain together today.

I left Selhurst for Coulsdon North Depot and after a year it closed and I was transferred to Plymouth Laira. It was here I would end my twenty one year British Railways career and travel across the sea to Liberia West Africa. My Railway career was one of the best and my memories are all happy ones. I really did enjoy what I did and am so glad I spent all those years of my life with Railway people all over the country as they are such a rare breed.

In Liberia West Africa I literally died and came back to life and have been so thankful for every day I have lived since that time.

I had come to a point in my life where I felt I needed to confess my sin. I was experiencing this need to get right with God and I was feeling so peculiar. I went down to confession but instead of going in the confessional box I went into the annex on the side of the Church and met the priest face to face. I could not tell the priest what I had done and believe me when confronted like this I could not tell anyone what I had done. I mumbled something about trivial matters and got my penance and left. I had not done what I had set out to do and knew I was still not right with God.

In Liberia as an engineer driving trains of 12,000 tons and more I was to enjoy the good life. I had real good pay and really enjoyed the work but I was still not right with God. I now smoked sixty cigarettes a day and had enough drink at night to make me drunk or almost drunk so I could sleep. This went on until the third year when I contracted Malaria and it was bad. I had gone a bit yellow and I was hit very hard indeed.

I was given some pills to take in the early evening which resulted in me waking up on the floor having fallen out of bed. I was so dizzy and light headed and numb all down my left side that I had a panic attack. My wife called for the doctor as I was now glued to the chair and holding on in the fear that I was going to die if I laid down! I had never been so frightened and I was really terrified of death at this point. I was taken to hospital and knocked out put on a drip and I was still getting these panic attacks.

A missionary Bill Clark had recently joined the Swimming Club of which I had become the treasurer and came round to see me with his wife Pat. She made me egg custards and Bill would play me films of the life of Christ on the white living room wall. He would pray for me and I began to feel better for it. After learning to walk again and feeling much better I went back to England and a specialist gave me the all clear to go back. This I did and I was still not right with God and I started drinking again.

However, I was awakened with this fear of death gripping me and I ran from my bed and slid down the wall saying “my God my God I have forsaken you!” My wife drove me to the hospital where they checked my blood and it was negative? Then I heard this Scripture again in my head “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me!” On arriving home Bill’s words sounded in my head “read the gospel” I picked my Bible and I turned to the book of Matthew and felt someone was there with me and I began to cry. I said, “Lord Jesus please forgive me and “come into my heart “(no one had taught me to say this?) and give me the gift of healing? This could only have come through the Spirit of God for I did not even know there was a gift of healing as such.

Suddenly I was right with God! I was on the bed jumping up and down shouting praises to God and my wife thought I had finally gone mad! I was a new creation and I was so light and something so wonderful had just happened I could not contain myself. That presence which I felt was none other than the Holy Spirit as I have now found joy and peace and wonder in this continual presence. My life had really changed from that moment and the old Tom died and from that old Tom a new Tom is being established day to day and I no longer ask who am I for I know I am a child of God being changed daily into the image of God! I am no longer terrified of death and I know religion is of no value without the life and a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know Him and He knows me and I am going into heaven because He has made me right with God. I am not perfect and am not without sin in my life even now. However, I have been hidden in Christ and anyone who says anything against me has to go through Him because He knows me and knows I do not wish to do wrong of any description. I want so much to please Him and you cannot please Him without faith. My faith tells me I am perfect in his eyes and that He loves me without bringing up the past or my failures. He has forgiven me all my sins and transgressions and He understands and continually forgives me when I fall. He picks me up and is always there for me no matter what and He knows what is in my heart. I am hidden in Christ where I have a confidence that I am loved and cared for and where I can carry the wounds of the world for healing.

I now live with a faith in a God who understands and loves me. I love Him so much because He is real and I now know Him personally. He gives me joy and happiness to cope in sometimes horrible circumstances. He has taken up residence within me and at times I can feel the power within He has given me to live this new life. He never changes and knows and understands everything! I am at last alive and able to live because I am hidden in Him and He is my shield and my refuge MY GOD and MY KING now and until forever!

Father has taught me many things on the road to freedom and I have had to deal with many consequences of my sins and break strongholds and curses which held me back. If you need any help Jesus is the One you really need and He will forgive ALL your sins and declare you righteous before Our Father and all you need do is ask. If there is anything I can do to explain anything please feel free to e-mail and allow me time to talk to the Lord before getting back. Jesus loves you so much and He really does care for you.

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Numbers 6:24-26