Our Stories
Robbie Halkett John Kerr Annie Morris
I was born and raised in Hamilton, Scotland. My parents each had a personal relationship with Jesus and we, along with my sister, went to church every Sunday. As a young person I was involved in the youth group but I never really appreciated what Jesus had done for me until I was 17. I accepted Jesus into my life and was baptised in water the following year.
After college, I got a job in Inverness and moved away from the security of my home, family and friends. Without these things around me I gradually slipped away from God avoiding church in favour of pubs; and as I gradually slipped away I realised I was becoming more and more unhappy. It was like God took me to a cliff and then said "so you've tried it the world's way, now do you realise that my way is better?" I asked God to forgive me and I recommitted my life to Christ. In 1992, when I was 23, my sister died suddenly. I am so grateful that I had recommitted my life to Christ before then because if I hadn't, I simply do not know what I would of turned to if I could not turn to Jesus. It was a very painful time for us as a family, but we know God took us through it.
I'm now 38 (2008) and God has continued to work in my life. He has enabled me to record an album of some songs I'd written. He has provided me with a wonderful wife and 3 handsome boys. He's enabled my wife and I to write a Christmas musical together and currently I find myself an elder of the church with a passion for preaching. All the way Jesus has been here through the good times, the bad times and the run of the mill times and my desire is to see change in my life so that those around me can see His life more and more. I continue to marvel at His love for me and his undeserved favour, in forgiving me all my shortcomings, through my faith in Christ.
Has Jesus made a difference in my life? Absolutely!
(posted Feb 2008)
Lately I was having a very busy day at work when I answered the telephone ringing on my desk. "Is so and so there?" I turned round to see that this person had entered the office but was engaged on another call. "Can I take a message?" I said, "The person you want is speaking on another line at the moment." The man on the line was adamant, "I'll wait."
When the lady came off the phone I said to her, "I have so and so on the line for you". She knew I was holding the call for her since she acknowledged earlier my signal to her while she was on the phone. However as soon as she heard who was on the line she halted on her way over to me and said, "I don't want to speak to him, tell him I have had to go out". This put me in an embarrassing situation, since the caller knew she was in the vicinity and also I was expected to lie.
I held out the phone to her and said, "I am not going to lie for you". With that she took the call but she was so annoyed that she wrote angry comments on pieces of paper and passed them over to me whilst on the phone. When she came off the phone, her anger exploded and there was a tirade of abuse directed at me in front of all my colleagues. I didn't argue with her. She stormed out of the room only to come back into the room and start all over again. It was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life.
As a Christian, I know that I have been forgiven and that I must forgive totally. My emotions were all over the place but in an act of will I forgave straight away. Yet there was this recurring turmiol. Feelings of resentment, anger and injustice. So I asked God for forgiveness for harbouring these emotions. In a quieter moment, I sensed Jesus telling me three things. The first was to praise Him vigorously every time these dark emotions stirred within me. The second was to bless her in prayer. The third was to trust Him completely for a good outcome. I knew this meant not talking or discussing the matter with anyone.
So this is what I did. Throughout the rest of the day and evening I praised God out loud and asked Him to bless this lady. But a real battle was going on; it woke me up several times during the night. Each time I got up out of bed, I praised the Lord vigorously and asked God to abundantly bless her. In addition I earnestly wanted to avert a strained atmostphere with a work colleaugue. So in the morning I prayed asking the Lord's help for both of us to have a good working relationship. I felt His peace. I had an inner knowing that somehow He was going to take care of the matter.
I went to work, had hardly settled down at my desk, when I became conscious of this figure beside me. She spoke so softly and sincerely and apologised for her behaviour. I could have hugged her. There was absolutely no ill feeling between us and it remains so to this day, This is God at work.
Why do I relate this story in some detail? It is because guilt and ill feeling between people brings fear and stress. Job said, "Man is born to trouble as surely as the sparks fly a upward." It is best dealt with quickly and biblically. "Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you" (Job 22.21 ESV)
Several years ago, in a dream I was standing in the middle of a room enthusiastically telling a group of people about the ship I was soon going to board and work in. Someone announced the ship had arrived. I walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains which were closed. What I saw surprised me. There almost right in front of me was this large ship docked in a quay. It had the name FORGIVENESS written in large letters on the bow. I boarded the ship and was greeting by the Captain. All who went on board were greeted by the Captain. It was love and joy aboard that ship and the Captain danced with the guests. I never came off that ship. It was never intended that I should because in the voyage of life one will continually need to forgive and receive forgiveness. The Captain of that ship was Jesus Christ and all who follow Him and put His teachings into practice know His peace. Which will you choose? Do you want forgiveness (both given and received) and with it His peace? Or do you choose to harbour unforgiveness and reap stress?
Why not come aboard my ship? It's the only way to live!
A TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL "TRANSCENDING THE POWERS, OR THE ORDINARY COURSE OF NATURE". That is what the dictionary says about the word SUPERNATURAL. To me the word has come to mean something much more. It reminds me of the day I experienced overwhelming evidence of God's protection, and in this instance I didn't even have time to ask Him for His help. Nevertheless it came in a most remarkable way.
I was driving to work on a grey, miserable morning and the rain was coming down in "stair rods". There was a lot of water on the road, but I considered 60 mph a safe speed as I was the only traveller on my side of the single carriageway, A9. The other side of the road was quite busy with a long stream of lorries and cars heading towards Inverness. As I peered through the gloom, about 200 yards ahead I saw a van pull out, obviously with the intention of overtaking the traffic coming towards me. My first thought was: "What a fool, he'll soon slip back into line as there just isn't room for both of us on this side of the road." I had my lights on so I was certain he could see me. I was wrong, he wasn't making any attempt to get back, maybe they were closing up and he couldn't!
He was getting closer and closer. I braked gently bearing in mind the road conditions and looked with dismay at the high kerb and grass bank on my near side. "If I hit that kerb at this speed it'll wreck my suspension." I tried to judge the width of the space I was obviously going to have to try and squeeze through. He was rapidly getting nearer and we were heading for a collision! Just as we should have made contact in a big way, a lay-by appeared on my left and I thankfully drifted into it, sailed out again and continued on my way, breathing a big sigh of relief.
It all happened very quickly, much quicker than the time you're taking to read this. My car radio was on and as I drove on I realized I was hearing the words of a popular song called "From a distance. " The chorus was repeated: "God is watching. . . . from a distance. " God was certainly watching me that morning and I gave thanks for my safe arrival at work.
You may think that I was just the recipient of a very lucky escape and that sheer coincidence saved my bacon! I know the word coincidence isn't in God's vocabulary because that's not the end of my story. I have travelled on the same I road, many times since that morning, in both directions and for the life of me I can't find that lay-by. It isn't there - I've checked it out, so have my friends, even my Pastor has searched for it (I think he wanted to make certain for himself that I wasn't telling him a tall story, and perhaps letting my imagination run riot!). When I close my eyes, I can still visualize the scene, I can see again the broken white lines following the contour of the road, I can see the kerb curving to the left sharply to enable me to drive in and out again quite safely, and I remember the heavy splash of excess water as we passed each other so closely. I re-live the feeling of relief at my escape from tragedy. But, I assure you THERE IS NO LAY-BY!
So you see, "supernatural" means much more to me than the dictionary's definition. It means that God is performing miracles today exactly the same as He did when Jesus was here on earth. Nothing has changed He is still the same, and I have my very own personal miracle, and how I love Psalm 121,from verse 5: "The Lord is your keeper, The Lord is your shade on your right hand, The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil, He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in, From this time forth and for ever."
If He can do all this, what have I to fear?