THEN AND NOW
By Linda Watling
My conversion to Christianity
When I was 14 a friend went to see Billy Graham. Some thing made me ridicule her; this was completely out of character. She told Sister Angela who was in charge of the Baptist Church in Harold Hill who replied that I was the devil tempting her. This made me angry, furious, inquisitive, in fact everything it was meant to do. I went to that Church to see who this stupid woman was and stayed for three years going three times each Sunday and taking Bible classes.
Boys then interrupted this holy state. However all through my life I never forgot that time and was drawn towards Christianity but was too lazy to do any thing about it.
In 1988 a friend asked me to her baptism. I immediately knew that I had found what I had been, unknowingly, looking for. When I was 16 I wanted to be baptised, my mum said no. I was furious at the time but so glad when I finally found Jesus. I know that I would have been tormented by the vow I would have made at 16, as I wouldn't have kept it.
When I was baptised in 1989 it was so right, Francis Godman told me that I would never feel that clean again; she was so right. I went to Rayleigh Baptist regularly until it became too hard for John to get me ready .I am still a member of the Church and regularly see some of the other members. I am a terrible advert for Christianity but I know that I could not live my life as happily without Jesus.
My life before I married was unhappy but happiness did filter in. My life after I married has been happy with unhappiness filtering in. My life with Jesus is happy. I frequently let him down but he never lets me down. Happiness and unhappiness are extremely difficult to define. I realise that I have not made a very good job of relating this part of my life; I have tried but the result does not completely paint the picture. My beliefs I cannot define.
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