I haven't always believed in God. I used to think that Christians were weak and the ones at the Christian union at school went because they had nothing better to do. However, when I was 17, a boy I knew became noticeably different and said he now believed in God and that He had changed his life.
I thought there must be something in it if it could change him and so I started going to church with him. I did notice a difference about the people there and recognised they had something I didn't have but then I moved to London and tried to forget about God. Life in London was too exciting and I would think about God again when I got older and just before I died!
God would not give up on me though. It seemed everywhere I went someone would talk to me about Jesus, I would see posters with Bible verses on the underground reminding me of God and I felt He was on my case!
I met a Japanese man and went to Japan for several reasons one of which was that I thought I could escape and hide from God! But that's one thing we can never do in this life. After a few months we moved to a village in the country a few doors away from a missionary woman. In her I saw what I had glimpsed before but pushed away. I saw God shining in her and through her. I saw the hope she had and the joy and after one particular night of vivid dreams I went to her door early one morning and asked her to help me find my way back to God.
Life has never been the same for me since.
I went through some really tough times in Japan and had to bring my 2 children up on my own there for 13 years. But God was my strength, my help and my guide. I learnt the truth of Psalm 145:14 'The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all those who are bowed down'. My faith grew stronger and deeper.
After coming back to England, I felt God's call to learn more about him at Bible school and then spend my life sharing what I knew of Him with other people. There is always more to learn about our Creator God who loves us, has plans for us, longs for us to be in a close relationship with Him and has made the way possible through Jesus Christ, His Son.
He is my Saviour and my best friend. He could be yours too.