I’ve been contemplating how significant things often seem to happen to me in April. The best thing of all is that I became a Christian around April 1982 when I was almost ten years old. I was very fortunate and blessed to have been brought up in a Christian family with godly maternal grandparents; Jesus was a name as familiar to me as my own. Not as a swear word but as a person I relied on from as young as I can remember. But I suddenly realised at a children’s meeting that Jesus had died for me personally so that I could have a wonderful relationship with God. I’ve never regretted that decision to ask Jesus to be the boss of my life.
In April 1998, Adrian and I started going out together which led, a year later, to marriage.
In April 2004, my Mum, brother Gary and I were informed that my Dad had aggressive lymphoma with only weeks to live. For those few weeks, ‘normal’ life was put on hold as we spent as much time with Dad as possible. We were all there to say good bye to him on 23rd May, when the Lord took him Home.
Two years later, my lovely twins were conceived by IVF. Adrian and I rejoice that we became parents on 29th April; we trust that our little ones are safely in Heaven. We’re looking forward to meeting them one day… wonder whether that momentus event will take place one April too?!
Last April I was becoming terribly ill with vertiginous migraines and a short time after I was forced to give up work completely. And this month, after God’s amazing healing, I’ve begun working from home as a freelance medical secretary.
Some of these reminiscenses are of happy times, others of sad or difficult times. But throughout, God my Saviour, Lord, Father and Friend has never, ever let me down. He’s been there, rejoicing with me in my happiness, and comforting and sustaining me in my grief.
I wonder what future Aprils will hold for me? Of one thing I can be absolutely certain, God will still be my Shepherd (Psalm 23).
