My Life, My Testimony
One evening, James came home with a homemade gramophone. His friend and colleague, Gerald Beattie lent him recordings of the singer Al Jolston, and within a few days, another friend lent him six recordings of William McEwan, singing hymns including The Old Rugged Cross. Upon hearing these recordings James accepted The Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. He had been a heavy smoker for years, and that night he threw the packet of cigarettes in the fire and never smoked again.
For the next three months I did nothing but nag at James because of the change in his life since he put his trust in The Lord. He had started to help Gerald in the Sunday School and had made many new friends through attending Great Victoria Street Baptist Church.
One day in 1963, James and I were invited to join Gerald and his wife and Mr. & Mrs. Mulholland, for a day out to Browns Bay. That day was to be an unforgettable day for me, as I had never met people like these, and I could see that they had something that I didn't have. The Light of the Lord shone through Mrs. Mulholland that day in a way, which I couldn't ignore. The Lord had been speaking to my heart and that night I got down on my knees and asked God to forgive my sins and that I believed that His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins and for The Holy Spirit to come into my heart.
Once I had put my trust in The Saviour, we started to hold Cottage Meetings in our home, which many of the neighbours attended. Sometimes I would mind the neighbours children so that they could attend.
James had always wanted to drive for a living and applied to the Corporation Bus Company for a job, which he got and, with the better wages, we were able to furnish our home. With our growing family, our home in Finaghy was becoming too small and we applied for a house in Clarawood ( which took about two years and was well worth the wait.) Upon moving to Clarawood, we left Great Victoria Street Baptist Church and joined in fellowship in Bloomfield Baptist where we stayed and were very happy for 33 years.
In 1969, while working as a driver for the City Council, James was led of The Lord to join Soldiers and Airmen Scripture Readers Association (S.A.S.R.A.) in a part time post. Whilst in this post, he felt the leading of The Lord to become a full time worker. At this time I was working in a local school and was unsure as to whether the time was right for him to take a full time post. However, one day, while at work, The Lord gave me a great sense of peace about the full time position.