Looking back on my life before becoming a Christian, the Lord must have had his hand on me. Not long after I came to live in New Zealand, I rolled a ute on a grand road, just missing a concrete power pole, and I was unhurt. Another time, I was inches away from rolling a tractor down a steep bank.

When growing up, I had very little contact with Christians. I attended Sunday school for a short while, but there were much better ways of spending Sunday and a period at a church school. The Lord was not a part of my life.

It was only after joining the merchant navy that I heard more about Jesus. But I did wonder, if there is only one Saviour, Jesus, why were there so many churches claiming that theirs was the way to be saved? So, I was not impressed.

I then came to live in New Zealand, got to know a very nice girl and married her. She used to go to church, and before we were married, I had a few meetings with a priest. He talked about knowing God.

I was not prepared to commit myself, only to say that I was aware that there must be a guiding point. I went to a few church services after the children were born, but I thought there was no life in them.

Catherine left the Catholic church at the Lord’s direction and started going to the Assembly of God church. About this time, I was invited to a men’s breakfast. I enjoyed the fellowship but was not ready to commit myself.

I went along to some of the services and enjoyed them very much, full of joy and alive. But I did feel I was singled out by the altar calls into something I was not ready for.

Then, on Saturday, 12 August 1987, I had a telephone call reminding me of a breakfast that morning. It was a bit late to go to it, and I had already eaten. But I felt that I had to go. I can’t remember who spoke, but when they asked if anybody wanted to accept the Lord as their Saviour, I knew that it was for me.

I went home bubbling and could not wait to tell Catherine of my decision. It felt like I was walking on air for days afterwards. It was not until later that I found out that Catherine had been praying for me for years and knew that one day, I would come to know the Lord.

What brought home to me, that God knows all about me was during an altar call a week later. There came an altar call for someone who had trouble breathing through their nose and sometimes woke gasping for air. This was something I had not told anybody about.

Well, I just sat there, but when the call repeated again and nobody else went forward, I knew it was for me. The problem was cured, and I have had very little trouble with breathing.

Since then, my walk with Jesus has been one of gradual growth. But one thing I am sure of is that when you are faithful, the Lord looks after you. Since knowing Jesus, I have been blessed in many ways.

Alec Clarke