Precious in the sight of God!

My mother was radical and on fire for God, she was a soul winner. When she was in her early twenties, she was a street preacher in Wellington with Teen Challenge. Teams would go out into the street and tell people about Jesus and invite them back to a coffee shop where their outreach was based. My Dad came to Christ through their outreach and it was there that they got to know each other and eventually got married.

Throughout her entire life, my Mum was always telling me about the people she had witnessed to. She took any and every opportunity to present the gospel to friends, family, doctors, lawyers; anyone she came into contact with. Her passion to share the gospel with everyone impacted all of her children, and is probably one of the main reasons why I have dedicated my life to reaching people for Christ.

My mother was someone who trusted God to meet her needs; particularly in her early married life. My Mum and my Dad lived by faith as they worked with Teen Challenge, Youth With a Mission and other ministries. When I was born, they were working with orphans at Watman home in Masterton, New Zealand. When anyone asks me where I was born, I tell them I was born in an orphanage.

When I was about six years old, it was my birthday and my Mother said “if you want a birthday present you’re going to have to pray for it.” I prayed and trusted God and to my amazement, God touched the heart of my father’s boss at the time, and not only did he buy presents for me, he bought presents for my brothers and sisters also. I think God had more mercy on me than my own mother did.

​It might seem a bit harsh to some, but to this day I appreciate the lessons my mother taught me about how to believe and trust God for your needs. Now I have lived by faith in Jesus for many years, we have seen God do so many wonderful miracles to meet the needs of the ministry.

A few months back my Mum said to me with an element of disbelief and uncertainty “I wonder if you will always live by faith like this.” I said “Of course I will, I learnt all this from you.” My Mum, was a woman of God, she was a saint, but she was also human. All of us struggle with this walk and life of faith from time to time.

My Mum spent hours in prayer and the Word, meditating on various passages of scripture. She was full of wisdom and so many have shared how her insights brought hope and encouragement to others at critical times in their lives. Spending time in the Word builds a solid faith and foundation for life that can carry you through the toughest times.

​My Mum prioritized love for God and love for others above all else. She was never materialistic and her resources were always used to help people selflessly. At the end of the day the things that really matter and we can take with us into eternity are the lives of those we have impacted for Jesus. My Mum was a mother not only to her own children, she was a mother to many. So many have shared how the little efforts she made just to spend time with friends and family had a deep and lasting impact on their lives.

The greatest thing my Mother taught me was faithfulness to Jesus. In her mid thirties my Mum lost my Dad, the love of her life. She is in heaven now enjoying catching up with him, but at the time she was a mother of five children ranging from two to thirteen. In all the year she raised us she never once wavered in her faith. She always blessed God, His ways and His purposes in her life. She remained faithful.

The reason my Mums death was precious in the sight of God, I believe was because of her faithfulness to God in spite of all she went through. Today I want to encourage you, no matter what trials come your way to continue to bless God, listen to His voice, trust Him and one day when the time comes your life will be a precious tribute to the goodness of God.

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