Manor Park Evangelical Church|Serving Christ and the Community in St. John's

My journey to work every morning fills me with awe and wonder. The landscape is a tapestry of colour and texture - a moment of praise in an otherwise hectic life of juggling work and family.

The last few years have been difficult and I have needed the certainty that God is always present. Two of the difficulties have involved my children.

I love my children passionately, but parenting teenagers has brought challenges that I had not expected or was prepared for. These began during high school years when one of my children was bullied. For the first time, I felt completely helpless as a mum. I did all the things suggested in the books but nothing really helped the situation. She was still bullied and yet bravely left for school each day. I felt my heart breaking every morning, not knowing what to do. You might assume that, as a Christian, I would not feel like this. I wanted to sort it out, almost feeling like a failure if I could not. One time I cried out to God, admitting defeat. I heard a still, quiet voice in the words of the Bible, a comfort at a time when I felt utter despair and helplessness. My daughter is now happy with lots of friends. It has not been easy but she has learned through these experiences and her own faith in God has increased.

Another challenge involved my son. He had been involved in an accident where a driver was at fault. The driver wriggled out of responsibility, although there was an independent witness and the police made charges. Following this my son began a downward spiral of anger against a system that had taught him honesty was the best policy. This came as a total shock because he had been such a straightforward child. He began to stay out all night and make no contact for days. Fear for his safety on these occasions would seep through every pore of my body - particularly as he was into street running, which involved jumping from high place to high place. This time would have been impossible for me to get through without the faith I have in God; a faith that knows that he is in control of every aspect of my life. I feel a pain for every parent without this faith in God. My faith is not a faith that believes that my life will be a smooth ride with nothing going wrong, but a faith that has known the presence of God in every area of my life, helping me, guiding me, being there through all things.

Until recently my husband had been running a local charity, which had been very short of money. He had to make the decision to leave. Without my faith in Jesus I would have really worried about this, but I know that all things are possible with God by your side. Even during a recession, when lots of families are worried sick I feel at peace, even though life might be hard . I know that God is by my side through all things and wants the very best for me.

I guess what I am saying, is that knowing God has been a real blessing and comfort to me. The Bible teaches that faith in Jesus is the only way to the Father in heaven. If my belief is right then I am going to spend eternity in heaven, if I am wrong, my faith in Jesus as God's Son has enhanced my life and I will not have lost anything.

Julie, a primary school teacher, is married to Trevor and they have three children

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