Page 21 - News Autumn_Winter 2024_Print

“GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL,

SHOW YOURSELF TO ME”

It was January 1981 when Jane’s adventure parents. I had definitely not been honouring them and I
with God began. Staying in an attic room felt the weight of my guilt and sin. As soon as I admitted
in a YWCA, she found a Gideon Bible my wrongdoing, Jesus came in like a flood; I felt guilty
and forgiven at the same time.
(Gideons are now known as GOOD NEWS for
Everyone!) in the drawer. Jane began reading When I visited the church previously, I had glanced at the
Statement of Faith on the wall and felt I did not believe
it, starting with Genesis and how God created it. This time I went through each point individually and I
the world. The problem was she didn't realised that everything was true.
believe that God existed and would say she That evening, I phoned my parents and told them I had
was a complete atheist. become a Christian. All the previous resentment towards
them disappeared in a moment, even though they
“It seemed amazing to me that, a few days later, when I warned me not to get too excited! After the call I knelt by
visited the cathedral, the very same chapter from Genesis my bed in my little attic room and made sure that I had
was read in the service. Afterwards, I went for a very long confessed my sin to God and asked for His forgiveness.
walk by the river, and it was as if God turned the light on
CONNECTION FROM FRANCE and I believed that God was the Creator of all the beauty THIS TIME I REALISED THAT
that I could see around me.

EVERYTHING WAS TRUE
GOD REALLY SPOKE TO ME
THROUGH THAT VERSE
On a country walk a few weekends later it was raining so I
went into this little Stone Chapel; on the wooden lectern
was a huge open Bible. My eyes fell upon the words of
My friend Balki was staying at the hostel. I went to her Psalm 119: 105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on
church and it was the first time I'd ever heard the Gospel my path”. God really spoke to me through that verse and
properly. Previously I hadn't understood at all about Jesus that He would guide me. Later that evening I went to a
dying on the cross, how it was relevant for my sin and the celebration meeting at a church and was surprised to see
fact that He rose from the dead. At the end of the meeting a large poster, depicting a forest scene, with a path and
the Pastor gave an altar call, and I went to the front and the very same verse from Psalm 119! I didn't realise that
was prayed for. day in the forest how great an impact the Bible would
have on the rest of my life.
I didn't become a Christian that night, but something
happened. I went with Balki and some other law students. I met my husband and got married after I graduated.
As they were sitting together, having a prayer time, I spoke The need of studying Bible translation took us to live
a kind of prayer. I said, “God, if you're real, show yourself in another country for 14 years. It was a great God-led
to me”. I imagine that's the kind of prayer that God really adventure – making friends in another language, learning
loves, because He started to answer. to teach children's lessons in another language and having
neighbours from another culture. It was a really special time.
A few days later I went to the church again; this time bread
and wine were being shared for Communion. The Pastor We wanted to have children, but it didn't seem to happen.
spoke about honouring your father and mother, words Again, we leant on the Word of God, particularly His
I had never heard previously. For the first time I knew I promise from Deuteronomy 28, which later proved to be
was guilty in the way I had behaved in recent years to my the case as we had four children. When our fourth child
died after a heart operation aged eight and a half, God
gave comfort in a way that nothing else could have done.

The morning after our son died, I got up and went to the
kitchen. On the blackboard on the wall was a verse of
Scripture from the start of John 14 “My Father’s house has
many rooms..” I don't think any other Scripture verse could
comfort me in the way that that verse did.
I'm so grateful for the day that the Bible started to
have an impact on my life. It not only brought me into a
relationship with God, which has continued to this day and
will continue right into Heaven, but it has shown me His
faithfulness, His character and His love.”
Jane shared her testimony at a previous Connexions.

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News Autumn_Winter 2024.indd 21 18/09/2024 12:23