I thought now that this new blog initiative has been up and running for two weeks it was time for me to introduce myself to you and share with you something of ‘my story’.
At the moment I find myself in what must be the best appointment in the Salvation Army world; Divisional Candidates Officer for the North Western Division of the UK Territory.
I have only been in this appointment for six weeks and have already been excited and blessed to hear some of your stories as you explore as to whether or not Officership is God’s will for your life.
This is my home division and it is wonderful to be back here working with candidates and prospective candidates in the place my spiritual and ministerial journey began.
I grew up in the Corps at Southport having been taken to the Salvation Army at the age of five by my grandmother. Immediately I felt at home and loved all that was going on. Numerous families within the Corps took this ‘non-Army’ child under their wings, brought, fetched and carried me, and in countless ways showed me Jesus.
As a seven year old I was encouraged to ‘give my heart to Jesus’. I remember it clearly, almost as if it was yesterday. We had about 200 young people in our Sunday School at the time and when the invitation was extended to ‘come and meet Jesus’ many were making their way to the mercy seat to make their prayers of commitment and dedication. I desperately wanted to do so as well, but being painfully shy couldn’t pluck up the courage to leave my chair and make my way forward. However, after a few nudges from an understanding and compassionate teacher I eventually made my way to the mercy seat; by this time nearly everyone else was back in their seats. The YPSM of the time came and knelt alongside me. I have no idea what he said or what he prayed but I knew something very real was happening, something very important that was going to stay with me for the rest of my life. It was so real that this very shy child couldn’t wait to get home and share what had happened, and then I even ran and told our neighbours who I now imagine were possibly left somewhat bemused by this very excited and enthusiastic child sharing her testimony.
Sunday School teachers taught and trained me in the ways of God. They encouraged me to pray and read my Bible daily and really mean it when we sang:
‘I want to do something for Jesus
E’en though but a child I may be
I’d love, yes I’d love to do something
Because He did so much for me’
And so from a very early age I was taught to believe and know that God expected something from me, something special, and everything within me wanted to be what God wanted me to be.
I was told on my Candidate’s farewell Sunday by a little old lady who used to sit on the back row of our hall that even before I was made a Junior Soldier I had told her that, “God wants me to be a Salvation Army Officer and that is what I am going to be”. It was almost as if hand-in-hand this is what God and I were going to do with my life. I always ‘knew’ and still know that this is what God requires of me. There is something deep within me that believes I was born to be a Salvation Army Officer; this is my purpose in life and now 27 years since my Commissioning and Ordination I still firmly believe this is who I am and who I am meant to be.
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