What's God Ever Done For Me? - Lorretta

I was the youngest of four children and was very blessed with a good childhood. My parents’ relationship was sometimes strained but we were never deprived of anything especially love and care and they both worked very hard for us. I was also very privileged to have a wonderful brother and two very special sisters and have cherished memories with each of them.

 

We moved to Barking from Thorpe Bay when I was around three years old. Looking back the greatest gift my Mum could have shared with us was her love for Jesus Christ. She had had a very sad childhood with a violent father and she had come to know of Our Lord as her friend and Saviour as a young child. Immediately moving here she took us all along to St. Erkenwald’s Church and ensured we all attended Sunday School. 

 

From then on our lives always included church life in some way. We were very blessed because Jesus was always part of our family and we grew up knowing of His love for each of us. However, we all had to come to give our lives to Him as individuals under different circumstances and indeed different times of our lives. My Dad didn’t come to know Our Lord in a personal relationship until he was in his late fifties but what a rejoicing when at last he took his first communion with us.

 

When I was nineteen, my Fiancé Alan was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease. We decided to carry on with our plans for marriage and bought our home. Alan had some knowledge of Jesus Christ but his faith was very limited. 

 

We were married and over the next five years he dealt with many courses of chemotherapy, many operations and very invasive treatments. Throughout, this period I shared my faith constantly with him but he tended to look to other paths like meditation, alternative eating and reading numerous books about mind over matter. 

 

Then in 1977 his condition worsened and I was told the disease had gone into the bone marrow and that he was dying. Alan always wanted to know what was happening and was very discerning and so I decided to share with him the doctors’ comments.

 

In “desperation” Alan attended a ministry night at Chipping Ongar to see Rev. Trevor Dearing and on that night he gave his life to God. I was so very privileged to witness what happened to Alan after that time and I can truly say he ministered to me as well and I became strengthened in my own faith. 

 

Alan knew he would be healed without doubt either on earth or in heaven and the most crucial gift he had received that night was eternal life. He truly accepted whatever Our Lord decided to do because he knew that he had the knowledge of God’s love with him. On the day he died I experienced seeing the image of God in the joy on Alan’s face and I gave my life to God that day in completion.

 

Throughout my life I have always trusted in the Lord to see me through and He has never forsaken me. I went on to meet and marry my precious Brian and we have two wonderful daughters and each of my family are all gifts from God. It is such a blessing to see my children building their own relationships with God.

 

The Lord has shared not only my joys but my sorrows also. He was beside me during the loss of my parents, brother and eldest sister when he held me up and continued to strengthen me with his presence and love. I never cease to be amazed that He loves me so much and that not only did he die for me but that I can be confident that his Holy Spirit is alive in me and I thank God for everything.