Here is a story of salvation from right here in the United Kingdom, shared to us by Counties, a charity which aims to share the good news of Jesus Christ with communities, through evangelism, training and resources.
When mum of two Lynda lost three of the most influential men in her life over a matter of a few years, her ongoing battle with depression worsened.
Her dad, step-dad and grandad all died and she says she felt utterly lost until she found God. Lynda met Counties evangelist Ruth through a mutual friend, and she encouraged her to go on an Alpha Course, which then led to her faith in Christ.
Lynda said: ‘Finding the love of God gave me hope. It restored my ability to be unafraid. It’s helped my outlook, which helps me cope with the depression. You find the simplest things to smile about. God changes the way you see everything.’
Here, 32-year-old Lynda describes her journey to faith and how it has changed her life for the better: ‘When my children were at holiday club I met a lady called Wendy and we got chatting about a scheme at the school called Open The Book. They desperately needed people and Wendy asked if I would be interested. I explained that I was a pagan and she said that was absolutely fine.
‘As I acted out scenes from the Bible, it awoke something and taught me things I didn’t know. I had so many questions. Wendy suggested I did an Alpha Course. She explained that it would be a good starting point for answers, and I admit part of me did it to disprove it.
‘Around this time my friend Kim suggested I go to church with her; I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed this. I believe God put us together to help each other.
Finding the love of God gave me hope. It restored my ability to be unafraid.
‘I started Alpha and it started filling in the jigsaw pieces. Discussing powerful things helped me understand it all. I started feeling less and less alone. I began to pray.
‘It was about five weeks into the video, and it discussed making a personal dedication to Christ if you felt ready. With all my heart and mind, I made my personal dedication. I felt lighter knowing I would never be alone again. John 8:12 comes to mind.
‘Following God has given me meaning in my life. I am no longer wandering, alone and lost. God can lead me and show me how to make my life count for Him and His kingdom. I finally feel that I have found the light. Through Jesus Christ I can be saved. I feel the Holy Spirit filling me up and I know with God in my life I can do anything.
‘I realised God sacrificed the biggest thing with Jesus dying for us on the cross. I realised how important my relationship with God is and how it would affect my children too. The moment I asked God into my life, I felt incredible; I felt I could turn to Him with everything. I wanted more than anything to make Him proud.’
Lynda was baptised in the sea over the summer with her daughters close by. She continued: ‘It was a wonderful experience. Being a Christian has changed my life in so many ways. I live to serve Him. I never imagined wanting to go to church but it’s so wonderful.’
Pray:
- for people living in the mainly secular society of the UK, who grow up without knowing about the good news of Jesus Christ
- for repentance and revival in local churches, and that believers would share the gospel with their friends, family and local community
- for Christians to reach out to immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, who often come from countries that are hard to reach through traditional models of mission.
