How God Saved Me

“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” Psalm 66v16 

I was born in a sunny seaside resort on the North East coast of the UK in a hospital in Saltburn in the early 1970s.

I was brought up in a Christian home with Christian parents which I have been very thankful for. My brother & I would daily sit down each morning with our mum at the kitchen table to read some ”Simon & Sarah” books. These were Christian based and intertwined a daily reading from the bible with some topical relevant story for our ages and circumstances. 

From an early age we attended with our parents a little assembly of believers in Redcar and can remember going to many gospel, ministry and other general outreach meetings on a regular basis. 

One such meeting or series of meetings we looked forward to was when George Tryon attended Redcar with a Monday to Thursday children’s meeting. There was no meeting on Fridays as he stated this was “Mrs Tryon’s bath night!”. We learnt many verses of scriptures and enjoyed watching George tell the exciting bible stories with his hand painted story boards. We would collect his text cards each evening by learning verses, singing well and being attentive during his stories. The cards were small square cards with a picture and scripture verse and the more we gained the better prize we got after the series of meetings. Even though I attended all the meetings and knew most of the verses I still did not know Christ as my Saviour. 

The other clear event as a child was when a tent campaign came to my home town in Guisborough on the local playing fields where we again were told bible stories and learnt bible verses. For some reason the only verse I can remember to this date is “let him that stole steal no more,” Ephesians 4 v28! 

As time went by I got involved in piano lessons, piano concerts and singing competitions which as I grew up I got more and more involved in. This also led to me joining the Langbaurgh singers choir and even being offered a place in the Apollo male voice choir. 

I then began to take lead roles in theatre productions including Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady and within a local opera group each year singing in a number of opera productions. At this time I was working 9am-5pm and then getting the bus to the theatre or choir from 6pm-10pm but during this period I experienced emptiness, something I thought was missing – can this really be life? On occasions, doing five nights of shows was intensive but then feeling flat when the productions came to an end was becoming increasingly harder to cope with. I am reminded of Solomon who tried music and entertainment but he realised “all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun” – in summary emptiness! 

I knew the gospel message in that I was a sinner and that Christ had died and shed his blood on the cross for me. One night when I was 18 on Redcar sea front I realised that “only Christ can satisfy” and overlooking the North Sea from one of the little promenade wooden huts I trusted Christ and got saved. I have never looked back and rejoice in the Lord that he heard me and he saved me. 

Due to theatre production and existing commitments, rehearsals had commenced, I decided to do one last show however there was no emptiness now as Christ had satisfied my need. 

A short time afterwards I got baptised and joined a local assembly in Middlesbrough and the verse I was given at the Baptism meeting was the verses from 1 Timothy 4 v12/13 “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” A verse that I have tried, with the help of the Lord, to live up to. 

I wonder whether the reader of this article is saved and knows where they will spend eternity? 

The bible says “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3 v 23. This may be bad news but the good news of the bible is outlined in 1 Timothy 1 v 15 which says ”This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;” 

Acts 16v 30 and 31 goes on to say “..what must I do to be saved?” and the answer given so long ago is the same today “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”. 

Will you trust Christ today?

Paul Cartwright