Tony's Journey (Nov 09)

My past life was all mixed up and I didn’t understand myself or like the person I had become. I was 40 years old and had been married to Grace, my first wife, for 19 years. We had 5 daughters and a son, who was lost through a car accident when he was nine. This was our second loss as we had lost a small daughter, Cathy, through leukaemia. I am afraid I wasn’t a very good husband or father because I had become a compulsive gambler and a drunkard. I wanted a better life for us all but it seemed I could not make it happen! I also needed more confidence in myself for our future together as a family.

Then there came a change in our lives; my wife, Grace had an accident and hurt her back which trapped a nerve in her spine and she could not get help with it so the hospital sent her home. Things seemed to be going down hill and we needed a few miracles! In 1978, things started to get better when our relatives, Tom and Mary, told us they were praying for us. They visited us regularly and told us about how Jesus had come into their lives and changed them – they had become born again of the Spirit of God and had new life in Christ Jesus. They told us about the Christian Gospel which had changed them and they were also praying for Grace to be healed.

The led to me praying in my heart: ‘God, help me and help my family’. Then on the night of 11th March 1978, on going to bed as usual, I knelt at the side of my bed and found myself praying a prayer like this:

“I’m sorry, God, for all the wrong that I have done and the sins I have committed. I now ask you to forgive me my sins and I look to the cross. I believe Jesus took my sins upon Himself on the cross where He died. I believe He rose back to life again and has shown mercy and forgiven me. Thank you, Jesus. I also ask you, Jesus, to come into my life to be my Lord and Saviour. Amen”

I believe he did so that night – a change happened inside me and I no longer wanted to do wrong. The next morning when I was speaking to Grace, she told me that she had done the same thing and Jesus had also become her Lord and Saviour!

We started praying together, reading the Bible, spending time with other Christians and believing for her healing – which happened on the 6th May 1978. Grace was healed by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour and got up out of her wheelchair – Hallelujah! After that night Grace never again wore the two part corset she had had to wear because of the trapped nerves in her spine.

God is a God of miracles! We can testify to this – Jesus saves, Jesus keeps, Jesus heals. As you can imagine, this has had a great impact on our lives – what a difference He has made to us. Jesus is our love, joy and peace!

Grace died and went home to be with the Lord in October 1997. Knowing Jesus made all the difference in the world. Jesus has helped me to find a new life with a new wife, Wendy, and she is loving, faithful, caring and trusting. Jesus makes us like Him; this is for ever and ever. He keeps his promises and because He lives we can face the future knowing that He lives in us. Praise God. Hallelujah and Amen! Jesus makes all the difference.

He did it for us and He can and will do it for you. If you only let Him, He will make all the difference for you and to whoever believes in Him. Amen.