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"One day, Nigel my husband, said something about God which made me stop and think, and I got angry. He challenged me to check out if I really was a Christian! ...
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Ann Phillipson from Liscannor, Co.Clare; Artist
LOOK WHATS HAPPENED TO ME!
Hi, My name is Ann Phillipson, daughter of Brendan Vaughan, schoolmaster, St Brigids Well, Liscannor, Co Clare. My home is by the beautiful and spectacular Cliffs of Moher. You may like to know what’s happening in my life lately. I’ve found someone very special. His name is Jesus. This is how it all began…..
It was 1990, I was very happy, married with two lively children, nice house, own business, living in a lovely part of the world, the place I was born and bred.
Then one day, Nigel my husband, said something about God which made me stop and think, and I got angry. He challenged me to check out if I really was a Christian! What!!! Of course I was, wasn’t I christened, didn’t I make my First Confession and my Holy Communion? I even had the Bishop slap me across the face! But really, Nigel wasn’t talking about all that; he was talking about my “heart”. Being honest, I knew I had a lot to answer for, because of the way I had lived my life up to that point, basically it was spent on me, me and me. I certainly was no angel, and many times I found myself in difficult situations. As I began to look back on my life, I felt a sense of guilt, and I knew that I had to try and sort it out.
I started to read the Bible. Shock, Horror! This is where I went astray you may say, but why? My parents always had a Bible in our house and I’m sure most of you have also.
I was full of questions and I needed answers. I had to find out for myself what life was all about and the Bible seemed the right place to start. I read the Gospel stories about Jesus, His miracles, His love, His life. The more I read, the guiltier I felt about my life. I thought about people I had hurt and awful things I had done. I realised too that it wasn’t just myself and others I was hurting, but God as well. I was ignoring the one who loves me more that anyone else could. It was realising the damage I had done and the way I had hurt God that finally brought me to my knees on the 24th of October 1990. I cried out to the God of heaven for help, knowing without doubt I had failed on my own. Now I could see myself through His eyes, I was lost, hopeless, and pitiful before Him. And do you know what? God answered me. Simple, yet hard to believe, but the whole room was filled with His presence. I knew at that moment, 2:30pm, that God had come in to my life! I knew at that moment He had forgiven me for all the wrong I had ever done or ever would do. For the first time I felt I belonged to God. Not only that, He had made me into a new person, not a self-righteous goody goody who thinks herself better than others, but someone who is willing to do things Gods way.
God has changed me from the inside out. That’s what He wants to do for all of us. When we see things His way it’s not so hard to follow Him because we see He only wants what’s best for us.
Christ gives a choice, ACCEPT ME OR REJECT ME. The world is full of people who think they can make it on their own. Are you one of those people? I was once, but thankfully I know now there is no other way to have real life.
There is nothing I miss since becoming a Christian, not the drink or the late nights, not the pain or the sorrow, not the regrets or the emptiness. My life is filled with Jesus. He’s worth it!
So that’s really what’s been happening in my life lately. I will finish with one Bible verse that says it all. God says “you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13
Respectfully,
Ann Phillipson
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