Introducing
Lindy Stevenson
By Lindy Stevenson
My childhood and early adult years were spent in Brisbane where I was privileged to be part of a loving Christian family and a small but caring local church. In those days, the 1950s and ‘60’s, churches often had a week of evangelistic meetings with a guest speaker. It was at one such meeting, with the Rev John Ridley, that I first realised I was a sinner and that I needed to confess my sin and ask Jesus into my heart. This I did on 1st September 1960 – 63 years ago.
During my early years I attended Sunday School and Girls’ Brigade, so I had a knowledge of God and Jesus but nothing had sunk into my brain or heart about making a personal commitment to Christ. It was not until I was confronted with the challenge of a personal response that I felt uncomfortable about my standing before God. Hence at the age of 10, I gave my life to the Lord and repented of my 10 years of childhood sin! I did not experience a radical change in my life but I remember being more eager to read the Bible and felt God’s presence in a closer way as I prayed.
As the years passed, I grew in my Christian life and I handed more parts of my life over to God. Because the Christian life is a journey, I have experienced God walking with me and seeing me through the difficult times.
Firstly, I had to own my own faith as I moved away from home and this wasn’t easy as I had to share a house with other teachers who were not Christians. Surviving my first drunken party was certainly a learning experience for one who grew up with no alcohol in the house.
Secondly, finding a life partner was an area I spent much time praying about. Every girl thinks they will be left on the shelf!! In His perfect timing God led me to a young ‘bank Johnny’ who later became a pastor and we will be married for 49 years in September. Another crisis of belief or faith came when my husband of 14 years wanted to leave the bank and obey God’s calling into pastoral ministry. I had been in various churches all my life and I knew what churches can do to pastors. I was not ready for this. Short of death or divorce, I did not know how I was going to handle this. However, as I handed this over to God and stepped out in trepidation, He has blessed me in ways I could never have imagined – friends, family, spiritual and material blessings. After my children were born, I did not work for the next 23 years while I raised my family but as they began to grow into their high school years, I began to feel I needed something fulfilling to occupy my days. After praying for several years, God miraculously gave me a job teaching at TAFE. After a couple of years I did further study and began a meaningful job teaching English to Migrant and International students. This enabled me to go on a couple of mission trips to China and since retiring have been on mission trips, teaching English in a Christian setting, in Papua New Guinea. God is good.
In the church at HBBC, I am now leading a Lifegroup for widows and single ladies over 60. We enjoy friendship, studying the Bible and social outings. When someone is sick or going through a difficult time, we support each other and gain strength to come out the other side to a place of joy and wholeness again.
My journey in life has been a blessed one as I have travelled with God a long time. However, to anyone who is looking into Christianity and at whatever stage of life you meet Jesus, I would say that when you make a definite commitment to follow Him, you will not always have an easy life but God will give you strength and a way through your trouble. The story of Esther in the Old Testament beautifully demonstrates this.
My childhood and early adult years were spent in Brisbane where I was privileged to be part of a loving Christian family and a small but caring local church. In those days, the 1950s and ‘60’s, churches often had a week of evangelistic meetings with a guest speaker. It was at one such meeting, with the Rev John Ridley, that I first realised I was a sinner and that I needed to confess my sin and ask Jesus into my heart. This I did on 1st September 1960 – 63 years ago.
During my early years I attended Sunday School and Girls’ Brigade, so I had a knowledge of God and Jesus but nothing had sunk into my brain or heart about making a personal commitment to Christ. It was not until I was confronted with the challenge of a personal response that I felt uncomfortable about my standing before God. Hence at the age of 10, I gave my life to the Lord and repented of my 10 years of childhood sin! I did not experience a radical change in my life but I remember being more eager to read the Bible and felt God’s presence in a closer way as I prayed.
As the years passed, I grew in my Christian life and I handed more parts of my life over to God. Because the Christian life is a journey, I have experienced God walking with me and seeing me through the difficult times.
Firstly, I had to own my own faith as I moved away from home and this wasn’t easy as I had to share a house with other teachers who were not Christians. Surviving my first drunken party was certainly a learning experience for one who grew up with no alcohol in the house.
Secondly, finding a life partner was an area I spent much time praying about. Every girl thinks they will be left on the shelf!! In His perfect timing God led me to a young ‘bank Johnny’ who later became a pastor and we will be married for 49 years in September. Another crisis of belief or faith came when my husband of 14 years wanted to leave the bank and obey God’s calling into pastoral ministry. I had been in various churches all my life and I knew what churches can do to pastors. I was not ready for this. Short of death or divorce, I did not know how I was going to handle this. However, as I handed this over to God and stepped out in trepidation, He has blessed me in ways I could never have imagined – friends, family, spiritual and material blessings. After my children were born, I did not work for the next 23 years while I raised my family but as they began to grow into their high school years, I began to feel I needed something fulfilling to occupy my days. After praying for several years, God miraculously gave me a job teaching at TAFE. After a couple of years I did further study and began a meaningful job teaching English to Migrant and International students. This enabled me to go on a couple of mission trips to China and since retiring have been on mission trips, teaching English in a Christian setting, in Papua New Guinea. God is good.
In the church at HBBC, I am now leading a Lifegroup for widows and single ladies over 60. We enjoy friendship, studying the Bible and social outings. When someone is sick or going through a difficult time, we support each other and gain strength to come out the other side to a place of joy and wholeness again.
My journey in life has been a blessed one as I have travelled with God a long time. However, to anyone who is looking into Christianity and at whatever stage of life you meet Jesus, I would say that when you make a definite commitment to follow Him, you will not always have an easy life but God will give you strength and a way through your trouble. The story of Esther in the Old Testament beautifully demonstrates this.
Posted in Introducing