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Hi. My name is Margaret, which incidentally means pearl! Unfortunately I never really felt truly precious or valued as my name suggests, until I met Jesus that is.
I grew up in a loving Christian home and went to church every Sunday, where I learned about God and events written about in the bible. As a child God didn't seem very close or real but just fact, much like anything else I learned about in school.
As I said earlier I didn't really feel valued. I think this was probably because all through my schooling I was bullied to some extent or other and teased and put down for being a "goody goody, church goer". This caused me to loose any self confidence and self worth I had being all too aware of any wrong I did.
In my teens I found church really boring and not very relevant to daily life. Then my sister decided to be baptized in water, saying that she found Jesus to be her personal friend. This made me stop and think, knowing she wouldn't commit herself to something that wasn't real.
My mother had always taught us to pray, so I prayed very simply that if God was for real He would make himself known to me. I also started to read my bible especially the details of the life of Jesus. As I read, the words didn't seem empty and meaningless anymore but alive and vital, something I could relate to. As I read of God's love for mankind, shown through His Son Jesus, I asked that I too might know His love for me. As I read I began to understand that no matter what wrong I had done I could be forgiven and set free to know and live in the love of God.
One day as I opened my heart and asked God to forgive me of all my wrong doing and to fill me with His new life I became so aware of His great love for me and I knew a new real deep joy within that I had never known before. Suddenly Jesus became to me the personal friend that my sister had spoken about.
It was then that I felt truly valued and precious. I knew that God was real and the bible was true. I knew the God who created the heavens and the earth knew and loved me and cared so much for me! He healed my hurts and made me whole and gave me a reason for living and a joy, love and peace to help me live in this world of turmoil today.
From then on He has helped me in all aspects of life. Through the difficult days of being bullied where He helped me to escape and gave a new strength to handle the problems, to the really good times where I could rejoice so much more because of His joy.
I was baptised in water in 1981 as a witness of my decision to follow Christ, after knowing His forgiveness of my sins. This is a decision I have not ever regretted. Since then my life has been rich and full, just as Jesus promised. I praise God for the many wonderful opportunities He has given me to share His life with many people and the way He has and still is transforming me into the likeness of Jesus through the gift of His Holy Spirit working in me.
God has a plan and purpose for everyone. As it says in Jeremiah chapter 29 verses 11-14 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and will bring you back from captivity.'"
I am so glad I sought God with all my heart and found Him when I was young, for I know I would be leading a very different life now. One probably bound by fear and shyness, and hopelessness. Instead I now have a real appreciation of life and a deep love for people to bring them the healing and wholeness I found in Jesus. My greatest joy is to worship God and serve Him as I pray and care for the needs of those He created.
God's plan for my life is so much more than I could have wished for. I'm now happily married to a very special man who God brought into my life at just the right time in only a way He could. He has a very specific calling on his life to minister God's word and is now pastoring the Assemblies of God Church in Canvey Island. So together we seek to share the love of God to the people around us.
You too can know His love and care for you. Just open your heart to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your wrongs and live in your heart. As you trust Him in faith He will turn your life around for the best.
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