© 2007 AID AFRICA UK Registered Charity Number 1116336
By Lynda Mills
But that night, 19th November, 1977, changed my life forever.
God gently wiped the mocking smile from my face. The offer was “a new beginning”. Impossible! But I’d reached the stage where I would gladly give my whole life for a second chance. I considered myself of little value - I’d often contemplated sui cide – so if He was big enough to make a difference in me, He was welcome to my life. Several things became vividly clear, I needed to:
1) Accept that I was a sinner (can’t think of any other description!) and ask God’s forgiveness for all my damaging attitudes and actions, and choose to turn from them.
3) Ask Jesus to come into my life – as Lord. And He did!
2) Allow the realisation that Jesus paid the cost of all my sin in His death on the cross, thus releasing me into a new life. Freedom from shame – a fresh start. This was truly mind-blowing – and humbling as it was completely undeserved.
I didn’t expect that experience on that cold November night to be life-transforming, but it was. I felt clean. My anger, bitter disappointment and hardened disillusionment started to melt, and gradually I became to know God’s love and power in my life.
My life was just an ordinary life. I grew up in an ordinary, loving family, went to an ordinary school with average results. I followed the secretarial route into London, became rebellious and “a typical product of the permissive society” in the late 60’s, early 70’s. Life on the surface was carefree and glitzy, vibrant with all the trappings of an opulent society, laced with vague promises of wealth, happiness, and success.
But underneath I became bruised, empty and drifting. Life became a chore. I was getting through with alcohol and anti-depressants. I no longer trusted people, was disconnected, disenchanted, and emotionally fragile.
Then I was invited to a Christian Meeting! I ridiculed the idea of being found in a Church building, but shocked myself by agreeing to go. You see, as a child I knew God existed, but had no idea where Jesus fitted into the picture, and as time passed it all seemed irrelevant anyway.
