Uilleam’s Testimony of Jesus Christ

Uilleam’s Testimony of Jesus Christ

This is going to be sore; otherwise it is not worth doing! When you pick the scab off what was your life previously, well you have a mixed set of emotions, and they are usually in the same vein as sickness, nausea, shame. I have all of those when I look at what I was previously. 

Well I have told a lot of lies in my time so I had best set the record straight here and tell nothing but the truth. I was born of decent loving parents; I have 1 brother who married when I was 4. (There is 12 years and 6 months age gap between us) So although I had a brother, I didn’t really grow up with him. 

When I was young, living in Lanarkshire in Scotland, I was soon confronted with the whole Protestant/Catholic divide. My best mate when I was young, David Murphy, was a lad that was a wee bit younger than me but he was a Catholic. I didn’t know until it came time for us to go to school. (I got to go to the school across the road and he had to walk a mile up a hill) 

Me and David were best pals until high school and out life took different directions, it wasn’t all that sad at the time, but I regret it now as he is no longer with us. He passed away a few years back. I went to his funeral, but didn’t recognize many of his friends. 

There are two folks I do wish to mention that have also been a source of encouragement and certainly pointed towards a standard that I should be living up to and that is Pastor Matt Mc Goldrick of Calvary Chapel Glasgow and Pastor Ryan Ruckman of Vision Calvary Chapel in Porterville. Your guys support, advice and example have been simply Godly. Both of you in many different ways are simply “heaven sent”. 

Growing up I always had a decent grasp of the Bible. My parents, although were not Christians, wanted me to go to Sunday school. I went to the Chapelhall Gospel Hall; it was run by the Robertson’s and the Stangoe families. It was very brethren in its beliefs and gave me a terrific foundational education in the Word of God. If any of the Robertson’s read this I have to thank you for starting me off the right way. 

I became a Christian for the first time in 1991 at the Billy Graham rally at Celtic Park in Glasgow. All through high school I was a chocolate teapot Christian, I was okay until some hot water came and then I crumbled. I left high school and did a series of Christian events around and about Glasgow until I was about 20 maybe 21. 

Now during this time I had a popularity that I didn’t really have in high school. I let this go to my head and I thought I was a bit of a “player” I wasn’t exactly monogamous during a good portion of my relationships during that time. In fact, if you would have asked what monogamy was, I would have answered “is that some kind of wood?” This would haunt me when things really went downhill. For any woman that I have cheated or lied to, I apologize “en masse” as it would take me many years to track you all down to do it personally. 

I fell away from the whole Christian scene after the age of about 21. Looking back it is because I did not feed myself on a regular basis with the Word of God. I tried out various denominations prior to dropping off the scene completely. I was most regular at St Silas, mainly for the teaching of David Mc Carthy, but also because my friends went there. I even tried the Mormon Church for a while; gosh that was an interesting experience! After the failed “Mormon experiment” I still went to church occasionally and justified my life choices with that fact, although the visits to church were becoming more and more infrequent.    

Prior to my life hitting the skids I had a Peugeot moped, a scooter if you will. This was my pride and joy, I was heartbroken in October 2000 when a guy drove straight through me and totalled the scooter. I was due to start a new job in Cumbernauld and I was quite literally heartbroken.

It was then that I found a crutch in my life, alcohol. Around the age of 22-23, I really discovered a taste for the hard stuff. My behaviour got worse; I was an embarrassment to be around with too many beers. I was out of control and even worse I was not doing myself any good. I managed to embarrass Scotland on a worldwide stage with my travels with the Scottish Claymores and all over Scotland with Dundee United. 

It was not until I was faced with almost losing my then girlfriend and now wife, Chelsea. That I finally saw some sense and gave up what was quite literally killing me. My life totally sucked, but she had the courage to lie it down to me what I already knew. I gave up the alcohol, not for Chelsea, (I fear I would have lasted a week had I done that!) but because I wanted to start a new beginning in my life, a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Through it all I found a new best mate, although I always knew he was there. You see I was related to him, my wee cousin Dave, was a constant companion and an adhesive friend all throughout the good and the bad times. I have a new found love and respect for him, for all he has done for me. 

I have now been a Christian for a few years now and it is a real knowledge of the saving grace of God. There are two roads after we spin off this mortal coil, one is the choice of life, and one is the choice of death. Now the life is eternal, but again so is the eternal judgement. 

I am so happy to have the blessed assurance that I know where I am going. The challenge I would leave you with is do you? 

God bless 

Uilleam Mac Gafraidh