Portsmouth Christian Fellowship

When I was about eleven years old I was invited to go aboard on a RN Destroyer on which my father was serving as a Petty Officer Telegraphts, but for some reason I could not go on the date that had been set. But however I did go about three weeks later, only to find that I was the only youngster aboard and would be putting to sea.

This worked to my advantage because I had virtually free run of the ship. At one point the Captain allowed me to steer the ship, after some instruction from the Officer in Charge of the bridge. I was thrilled to bits and proceeded to follow the set compass direction. I looked up now and again in case we hit something. Boy was that an ego trip.

After around a quarter of an hour the Captain took me to the edge of the bridge and asked me to look how well I had done steering the ship in a straight line. Was I embarrassed, for instead of seeing the ship’s wake being in a straight line I saw that I had steered the ship all over the place.

This sadly was my life style up to the age of almost twenty. My life conformed to the pattern of a teenager out of control with no purpose in life, except having a good time as best as I could during World War 2.

My dad was killed in action at the very beginning of the war. I can remember at the age of thirteen sitting for hours with my grandfather waiting in the RN Barracks to see if my dad’s name came up on the blackboard of those who had been saved. But after a week of this we were told that there were no more survivors. Shortly afterwards my mother received the official telegram informing us of his death. His death made me angry and hateful.

I was supposed to have gone to the Royal Naval Orphanage at Greenwich, but did not go. I was supposed to have been evacuated but I did not go. Which proved that I had a stubborn streak in me? So all my education was restricted, whilst living with the threat of bombing night after night, trying to do homework etc.

I did not come from a Christian family. Fortunately some of my old school friends, who went to church, had not given up on me and when the war was over took me on a holiday to a Christian holiday centre in North Wales in 1945 and made a name for myself of being a prankster. I enjoyed it so much that I returned in 1946. For some reason my name went before me, but this time my life had been totally changed from within and the enjoyment was in being amongst Christians although I had not lost my sense of fun but it was clean fun.

Where does one begin to tell you what accepting Jesus Christ the son of God as Lord and Saviour of your life. To tell all in detail then a thick tome would be required, and reading it would defeat the object of trying to say what a change in my life has been wrought by allowing Jesus to take control and to bring real love, peace and forgiveness from all the waywardness and wrong that I have done in the previous 19 years of my life. However on this holiday, I did not know that I would meet a young lady who in a couple of years becomes my wife.

No one told me that there would be a radical change in my behaviour, because my bad language, drinking and dancing would have no more hold on me. All my friends left me but I gained many more true friends. God took away my smoking habit away after a couple of years.

I am in no way perfect but my life is still being changed day by day. As the old Irish saying goes “that I am happier now when I am down than when I was happy before.”

There have been many trials, temptations and near death situations I have had but Jesus has been near and have felt his love for me. In my heart I desire that whoever reads this will yield their lives to Christ and I can confidently say that He will not be a disappointment, and will help and support you in and through all the trials and temptations that come your way.

Are you absolutely sure of your final destination when you say goodbye to this short life that we have on earth. Why not invite the Lord Jesus into your life as your Lord and Saviour, and experience the love of God. The change He will make to and in your life will amaze you.

Ken