Anniversaries

Just to make a change I want to talk about 2 anniversaries which mean something to me.  33 years ago tomorrow, 16th June, I went on my first real holiday for years.  I had been doing beach missions for a few years ,which are quite tiring. Everyone had been telling me that  I needed a proper holiday, and  I had seen a walking holiday advertised in the Evangelical Times, but did nothing about it till I also saw it advertised in the FIEC magazine.
I decided to book it, and actually went up to London to  meet the organiser. He was a little bit odd, but I figured that there were plenty of others going, so it didn't matter. As it  happened, the organiser decided to get someone to give me a lift to Scarborough. That someone was a certain M Y, who lived in Tring. We got on like a house on fire, once we had stopped insulting each other, and 3 weeks after the holday ended we were engaged!  The rest is history.
The other anniversary which concerns me is a 40 year anniversary. I had been brought up in a religious home, but had rejected my Dad's religion when I was about 14. I had gone my own way, done my own thing, but suddenly, a 6 year relationship came to an abrupt end when the guy involved ran off with married woman with a child.
 Needless to say I was devastated, depressed and almost suicidal. I began to pray in earnest, I got my old bible from home and began to read it. There I read of a  Jesus who would answer prayer. I decided to turn over a new leaf, be nice to people,especially those who were horrible to me at work. However it was too hard to do. I didn't get my prayers answered,  knew I was a sinner, but thought why should God bother with me when I hadn't been bothered about Him?
In the end, I decided to go to a church to try to get to know this Jesus who answered prayer. I chose a Baptist church, thinking that this was closest to what I knew. I was going to sneak in and sit at the back,and if I didn't like it, not go again. However I was made welcome,and after the service people chatted to me, and gave me some leaflets to read. I remember saying how I was unworthy of knowing God, to which the answer came, 'Aren't we all'.
When I got home I read the leaflets, yes I identified with being a sinner, yes I had broken God's law and was sorry, but the secret seemed to be that I had to confess my sins to God and ask Jesus to take over my life.
I felt it was all too simple, but then thought what have I got to lose? So I knelt down there and then and committed my life to God. I ran back to that church that evening. I had fouled my life up, but I was now forgiven.
Life hasn't been a bed of roses, we are not promised that, and I haven't reached  perfection, but with God's help,since 25th June 1972 my life has had a purpose. God gave me a husband and 2 lovely children, and now a Grandson, beauty for ashes.
So as I remember these 2 anniversaries I say 'To God be the Glory, great things he hath done.' Don't turn over a new leaf,turn over a new life