I always took it for granted that I was a Christian. After all, I wasn't an atheist, I believed in God. I'd gone to Sunday School, went to church now and then and felt I was basically a good person.

         In 1969 I met and married my husband, Ken, who seemed to be much like me, - a nominal churchgoer, but who, as I was later to discover, had given his life to Christ as a teenager.

In March 1974 our second daughter, Siân-Marie, was born. On the day that I brought her home from hospital, our two-year-old daughter, Claire, was rushed into hospital seriously ill. In the ambulance, unbeknown to me, Ken prayed that if God would spare Claire's life, he would re-commit his life to Jesus and serve him wholeheartedly. God was merciful and granted Ken's request.

Our lives changed completely after that. Overnight it seemed as if Ken had become a religious nut case! This was hard for me to take. Every Sunday we went to church whether I liked it or not..... And I didn't!

In spring 1975, the film 'Jesus Christ Superstar' was showing at our local cinema. Some non-Christian friends were going and asked us to go with them. It was the story of Christ in a modern-day setting. I felt really uncomfortable throughout the film, but when it came to the Crucifixion scene, my heart felt as if it would burst out of my chest. I was oblivious to anyone else in that cinema, It was just Jesus and me. All of the preaching I thought I hadn't listened to in church made perfect sense. I knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Jesus was on that cross for me because HE LOVED ME. It was mind blowing.

Over the next few days God continued to challenge me through His Holy Spirit. I knew that I needed to respond personally to the sacrifice Jesus had made for me. I asked Him to forgive me and gave Him my life to do with as He pleased because He deserved nothing less from me.

The film ended with Jesus dead on the cross, but the Bible tells us that He rose again and has gone to prepare a place for all those who put their trust in Him (John 14:1-3).

Now that is something to look forward to!

Mary Sherwood