An anchor for the soul
My life has had two distinct phases. Before my mid-thirties – single and professional; then, in complete contrast – marriage and stay-at-home motherhood.
It’s the pattern of many women’s lives today and creates a transition that can bring mixed feelings - loss of independence on one hand, in contrast with the joys of family life on the other. Perhaps also, regret that skills and knowledge that have taken years to acquire are being unused whilst enjoying the relief of no longer being in the ‘rat race’.
When training and working as an educational psychologist I moved to a different part of the country every couple of years. Since marrying, I have been in the same place for thirteen years.
Through all these changes the one anchor that has given my life consistency and stability is my faith in Christ. Not mere religion, but a real and personal relationship with God.
As a teenager, I used to look at my face in the mirror and know there was more to me than just flesh and blood. I knew I had a soul, that there was that part of me which is more than the sum total of the chemicals of which a body is made.
Wanting to connect
I would look at the night sky and see the beauty of creation and was certain that there was a God behind it all. I wanted to connect with this God, but didn’t know how.
I thought going to church would give me a clue. The first one I tried was all ceremony and no substance. Thankfully some friends invited me to their church, which was simple and sincere. Here everything done was based on the Bible. People used their intellect to study and apply its teaching to their lives.
Here I heard the simple truth that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. I understood that Jesus came to die to deal with our wrongdoing – the one thing that separates us from God – and that by believing in him we could be reconciled to God.
When I became a Christian I can only describe it as seeing my need of Christ, walking into his open arms and knowing his perfect peace.
Thirty-five years on, God has proved to be faithful to all his promises. He guides all that I try to be as a friend, wife and mother and I have been blessed with some wonderful relationships because of that.
My faith influences all areas of my life. It is my foundation and motivation. As I anticipate new phases in my life, I know God will provide the help, guidance, blessing and comfort I need, as he has before. And finally, because of what Jesus has done, there is a place for me in heaven, for eternity.
Gail Mallin
