Message from Sue Heaton

I would just like to share with you how I found Mark’s message for Sunday July 5th a real blessing, the title was  ‘It’s foolish to forget The Lord Your God’

 

Around 40 years ago I was deciding whether to apply for the position of manger at the place I worked. I had lots of doubts, the position in the past had always been held by a couple as joint managers, they were looked on as house parents. Never had a woman been given the position of manager. I started as a volunteer working with recovering drug addicts and later became a staff member. I always felt it was right for me and it was where God wanted me to be, but taking on the responsibility of manager with eight staff members and a maximum of 14 male adults was so much more than being a staff member.

 

The then present mangers encouraged me to apply for the post so I sought God’s guidance and prayerfully waited for some sort of confirmation. Nothing was very clear so I went to services at two other churches, not ones I had been to before but somehow I was drawn to them.

The readings and the messages from both were taken from Deuteronomy 8 , I remember in particular feeling that God was telling me that I would need Him every day in order to succeed in this role and that He would always provide for me  as long as I never forgot Him.

 

I never forgot where my strength and wisdom came from as every morning we started the day in prayer and committed the day to Him. I t wasn’t all smooth going I had many difficult times but I always talked to God and asked Him for help and He never left me He always helped me to find a way through any difficulties. I will always Give God the glory for the successful running of Chatterton Hey, we never in all those years did we have a serious incident, which is quite amazing considering that all our residents were offenders and very street wise and manipulative.

 

I still get phone calls now and then from men who have been living  drug and crime free lives, who are now family men in full time employment and doing fine, all these years since they were going through the 12 month programme and I am so blessed when I hear from them.

 

Mark’s sermon brought all those memories back and really blessed me, and reminded me of how we must never forget God’s wonderful love for us .

 

 

 

 

Powered by Church Edit