Trystan Hallam, Tredegar

Although my wife sometimes comments that I live in a world of my own – with my head in the clouds – I don’t think life on a desert island would be for me. It would be ok for a little while – but there are only so many coconuts that you can eat. I’d miss my wife, my children, Tredegar and Bethel Baptist – not to mention my dog who’s my running partner. After all, ‘no man is an island’; God has created us for himself and to share himself with others.

But however, if the pirate, Captain Hywel George captured me on his ship HMS Heddwen, and gave me a choice to walk the plank or enslavement on a desert island, I’d choose the desert island. I’d be very grateful to take some Bible verses with me, a gem of a person from Welsh Christian history and a song (or two!) that I could sing and listen to.

Which verses would you take to the island?

Why can’t I take the whole Bible? Even Radio 4 allows you to do that. But who am I to argue? There is one verse which springs to mind straight away:

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

This verse is very precious to me, for I’ve experienced God’s keeping in days of trouble. Over fifteen years ago I was severely ill with testicular cancer and then clinical depression. In many ways it was like being washed up on a rugged desert island. Yet, I wasn’t deserted. God in His great mercy kept me safe, and at times visited me with his presence that I would not have experienced in times of bright sunshine and calm.

It is finished. John 19:30

The second verse I would take would be the Lord Jesus’ words on the cross. Life for the Christian is sometimes like being on a desert island – having been washed up, bashed and cut on the rocks, then landed all alone, disorientated on a desert island. When things are difficult, we ask: why? Is God punishing me for some sin? Whilst asking these questions on the desert island I would remember the Lord Jesus’ words “It is finished.” Whilst God might be discipling me through difficult circumstances, teaching me the path of holiness, I would remind myself that I’m not being punished, facing God’s wrath. The Lord Jesus took God’s wrath in my place on the cross. “It is finished!”

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

Captain George of the HMS Heddwen says I can’t take my wife, kids, not even my dog! It must a figure from history. So, I would be more than willing to settle for William Williams Pantycelyn the Welsh hymn writer, preacher, poet, and instrument of God’s blessing in Wales in the 18^th Century. I can remember being on a residential County Choir course in my teens which was held in Llandovery. On that course I rebelled! Not like my peers, who spent most of the evenings in the local pubs. No, I woke up early one morning and decided to walk to Williams’ grave which is in a Church graveyard on the edge of Llandovery. Please don’t tell the course organisers, because they never found out!

Williams Pantycelyn’s gift, amongst many other things, was marrying Biblical truth with true Christian experience. Read, and sing his hymns and you’ll see what I mean. Because I could be a long time on that island, I think learning at the feet of Williams would be a treat. It’s also been said he was also good company, gifted with a delightful sense of humour.

Which song would you like to take to the island?

Well, I have been cunning. Because by having Williams Pantycelyn on the island, I would have a Christian jukebox sitting next to me!  There are so many of his hymns that have helped me over the years. Perhaps one of my favourites is one of his simplest hymns:

Rwy’n dewis Iesu a’I farwol glwy

Yn frawd a phriod i mi mwy

Ef yn arweinydd, Ef yn ben,

I’m dwyn o’r byd i’r nefoedd wen.

I’m afraid you’ll have to learn Welsh to understand what it means. It’s worth learning Welsh just to be able sing Pantycelyn – not to mention Ann Griffiths! Come to the desert island and we’ll have lessons together!

I’d also like to take a song that the modern singer/songwriter Nicole C. Mullen sings: I know my Redeemer lives. The song captures Job’s angst and hope in equal measure; a hope that is fulfilled of course in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well with that, I’m off. Because I think I can see a ship’s mast on the horizon with a skull and bones banner hovering above the crow’s nest.

Sammy Davies, Ammanford

There are moments when relaxing on a desert island sounds appealing. But the truth is I love my family, my home and Premier League football too much to pursue a life like that. It would also be extremely difficult to be away from God’s people, my brother and sister here in Ammanford. So I’m grateful to desert island verses for allowing me to take a few snippets of Scripture to help me to stay grounded.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

Once, you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. 1 Colossians 1:21-22

When I’m asked to choose my favourite verse I always go back to Colossians 1:21-22 (mainly because I’m a rebel and like choosing two). I love these verses because they present me with such an honest and accurate picture of the power of God in the gospel. Paul starts off with a reality check about what I was before Jesus - alienated from God, hostile in thinking, a doer of evil. And Paul concludes with another reality check, our state after Christ - holy, faultless and blameless. Sandwiched in between is the crystal clarity over what has made the difference: Jesus. Physically intervening in my hopeless state in order for me to become something, or someone, that otherwise would have been totally out of my reach. Whether on a desert island or at my dinner table; that is something I need to be reminded of daily.

…And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left? Jonah 1:1-4:11

I’d also take the whole book of Jonah. It’s probably the book I’ve been privileged to spend the most time studying so it holds a special place for me. It’s once again achingly honest about who we are and concludes with the masterful question: “Shouldn’t God care?” I love how it forces us to confront our own pride/prejudices and to move forward into consideration of God’s grace and His love for the lost.

Isaiah 1:1-66:24

Finally, I’d take something a bit tricky with me to help keep the grey matter exercised. I’ve never really understood much of Isaiah (outside the obvious) so I presume that would keep me exegetically entertained for a good while.

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

Over the years I think my answer to this question has changed many times – mainly depending on my current footballing hero! But I’m not old enough for any of them to have died yet. Nor have any of my musical heroes who’d probably be next on the list.

So I’ll go for James Maxwell - not the coffee man, the one with equations for physics! One of the most awe-inspiring lectures I ever sat in during my university studies was an explanation of Maxwell’s laws and realising how beautiful the world of electromagnetics they describe is. So I’d love ol’ “Jimmy” to keep me company and talk me through his own thinking on the matter. We could also share beard oils. If there was sufficient sustenance to support three people I think I’d also like to invite Marie Curie - fun fact: first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize. But even more fun a fact: only person to win one in two different sciences. Smashed it Maz! Plus I reckon she’d be handier and hardier than me on a desert island. If there was still space on the dingy I’d ask Avicii to tag along - I still can’t quite wrap my head around how a person whose art brings such deep joy to me could have experienced sorrow in the world as he did. I’d genuinely love to say thank you and give him a hug.

Which song would you take to the island?

I’ll skip anything from Avicii because I’m sure he’d have some on his phone. The band which has meant most to me over the years are Coheed and Cambria so it would have to be one of theirs. I think my favourite is ‘Here to Mars’ but it’s a bit like choosing favourites amongst your children. A song released recently by Kings Kaleidoscope probably takes the title of “most loved on first hearing” of any song ever. The Rush (pts. 1-3) is just what music is supposed to sound like in my opinion and the lyrics are refreshingly honest and hopeful in Christ.

David Robertson, Dundee

This has been an interesting exercise. In one sense impossible to do – in another, very helpful. It’s always good to reflect on God’s Word and how it has impacted on your life.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day. Psalm 91:5

Psalm 91 was a great help to me in 2011 when I was on the Intensive Care Unit in hospital and very near to death. I did experience the ‘terrors of the night’. It was a dark and terrible time – but my wife laminated the whole of Psalm 91 and stuck it beside my hospital bed – and I frequently listened to the sung version of this psalm by Sons of Korah.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

This is a favourite verse of mine that helps me worship. If the realisation that Jesus loves you so much that he gave himself for you, does not move you to worship then you must be spiritually asleep – if not dead!

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25

This is a verse that would help in terms of loneliness. I doubt that there was a more lonely man than Job and yet in the midst of all the agony he had this certainty. Knowing that Christ will return is enough.

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” Acts 17:6

This is a verse that I often quote because it indicates the impact that Christianity had on the 1^st Century world and should have on the 21^st Century world. My belief is that we are so insipid and loveless that we have no radical impact today.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

These are verses that give real peace because it is an absolute guarantee from the God who cannot lie and who never fails to keep his promises!

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7

This is a verse that keeps me from sin. Not because it conveys an image of God as the ultimate spy camera, but because it means that our gracious God is with me at all times – even on a desert island. It matters a little if other people see me sin – but it matters much more when God does.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29

This is a verse that changed my mind in terms of how I thought about God and salvation. My minister at the time was preaching through Romans and his exposition of this passage included: “God predestines us to Heaven, the Devil predestines us to Hell, and we have the choice”. It was neat but even I as a young Christian could see that it was not what the passage said. So I investigated and became absolutely convinced of the sovereignty of God – a doctrine that has been a great comfort to me in my life and a great incentive and encouragement in evangelism.

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

I would take Augustine of Hippo – because by the time we had discussed The City of God, Confessions and all his other works, we would have long been rescued or else eternity would have arrived!

Which song would you take to the island?

I would take a book of songs – the five books of the Psalms. But if I had to choose one it would be Psalm 62 (the Keyes/Townend) version; My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone. It’s a song I would sing every day! And because there is no one else there on the island (except Augustine) no one could complain about my singing voice!

Liane Hadley, Conwy

After thinking there is no way I could contribute to this, having never been a ‘blogger’, I want to thank you for the opportunity to remind myself of how wonderful God’s grace and mercy has been over the years. Time to sit and ponder these questions has been an encouragement and blessing; I hope it may be for anyone reading too.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

I have never considered being limited to a few select Bible verses. What a privilege that, at the click of a button, I have access to several versions of the Bible in my pocket and can search through it with ease. However, there are some particular verses that stand out to me for various reasons.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

I was saved whilst I was at Bangor University in 1999, but had very little Biblical literacy. At baptismal classes, the foundations of the Christian faith were laid out methodically. It was the Bible verses that we were encouraged to learn by heart that made the most impact; they still remind me of the joy of those earliest moments of salvation. Whenever I am struggling with doubts or insecurities I can refer to these words and be reminded how awesome the gospel is and my position in Christ.

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

The next verse became very memorable to me when we were living in Bolivia. We were at a bit of a crossroads; earnestly seeking whether to stay in Bolivia or return to the UK. I was desperately sad and homesick but fought it constantly, believing that I wasn’t serving God properly if I gave up. Our dear neighbour, Anita Cook, a long term missionary, wrote to me sharing these encouraging words. I felt the burden of the decision making lift and rejoiced in the freedom to know that our mighty, compassionate God takes great delight in His people and even rejoices over them with singing. It still encourages me to this day, especially when I get sucked into self-pity and negative thought patterns...He is mighty to save!

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is so well known but has a particular poignancy for a certain time in my life. In October 2007 I went for a routine 18 week pregnancy scan. The midwife was having trouble hearing the heartbeat so sent me into the hospital for an emergency ultrasound. I remember on the journey asking the Lord to be with me and help me. Sadly, our baby had died and I was to be induced 2 days later to deliver it.  During that time, I know many prayers went up for us and we felt an amazing strength to face the trial knowing God was with us. Following this event, a close friend presented us with a painting with Psalm 23 on and it quite honestly depicted a lot of our experience at this difficult time.

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

Having grown up in a non-Christian home, I would really like to have the opportunity to take my great-grandad Bert to the Island. He was the minister of a United Reformed Church in Rayleigh, Essex, where I grew up. He married my Mum & Dad, although we didn’t worship at his church or follow Christ as a family. My brother and I were relatively close to my great-grandparents as they were local and we would go visit them once or twice a week. Grandad Bert (Albert Syrett to be exact!) was always cheerful, smiling, with red-rosy cheeks and time to spend with us. He died when I was 7 or 8. It was not until I came to know the Lord Jesus myself, 13 years later, that I wondered how often he had prayed in anguish over our salvation, the reason for his cheerfulness became clear. Even in death, I vaguely remember visiting him in a hospice and he was still smiling - I guess he knew where he was headed and that was a comfort in his last moments. I would love to meet him on the island so that we can glorify God, rejoicing over answered prayer and listen to his ministry that I never had the chance to hear. So readers, please keep praying for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren, even if you do not live to see their transformation yourself!

Which song would you take to the island?

This was possibly the hardest one of the three to decide upon. I love listening to music and have found life's big moments defined by listening to certain pieces. I often turn to music when I am struggling emotionally and/or spiritually and I find it resonates with me in a way that sometimes just reading alone doesn’t. Having not grown up in church, I’m not always at ease with some of the old hymns and generally listen to more contemporary worship music. However, if there was one song to remind me of the essence of the gospel and to focus my mind on Christ, it would have to be Horatio Spafford’s ‘It is well with my soul’ - albeit sung in a more contemporary style! One of my favourite covers is by Jimmy Needham. I can’t completely imagine all the writer went through when he wrote it but I can testify to some of the amazing comforts and kindnesses in dark times that are expressed in this song.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin — oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! —
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Anne Gamston, Gloucester

Having been on the Christian pathway for sixty five years, I am still amazed at the goodness of God who brought me to repentance & faith, revealing to me the love & beauty of the Saviour. Whilst the pathway has not always been easy and there have been many adversities, none the less the real joy of an eternal hope, of sins forgiven and cleansing in the blood of Jesus Christ has been such a blessing through the years.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Having been brought up in a non-Christian home and yet, at the age of eight, longing to know God, must surely be a work of the Holy Spirit in my life. It was another five years before I heard the gospel preached, which brought me to understand my need to trust the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of my sin.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

As with others, to mention verses of scripture which have been an encouragement as well as a challenge, would mean quoting the whole Bible. However, Proverbs 3:5-6, which is inscribed in my wedding ring, has been a daily reminder of my need to trust the one who knows the future. By the enabling of the Holy Spirit, helps me to do so, although 'not leaning to my own understanding' is a challenge!

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

The love which God showered upon me is truly wonderful and I can only say with the hymn writer: 'Oh that my soul could love and praise Him more!'

Which song would you take to the island?

This line comes from the hymn I have chosen to have on the Desert Island as a reminder that He is always watching over me and will never leave or forsake me. Here's a link to the hymn being sung.

Immortal honours rest on Jesus' head,

My God, my portion and my daily bread;

In Him I live, upon Him cast my care;

He saves from death, destruction and despair.

He is my refuge in each deep distress,

the Lord my strength and glorious righteousness,

Through floods and flames He leads me safely on,

and daily makes His sovereign goodness known.

My every need He richly will supply,

nor will His mercy ever let me die;

in Him there dwells a treasure all divine,

and matchless grace has made that treasure mine.

O that my soul could love and praise Him more,

His beauties trace, His majesty adore,

live near His heart, upon His bosom lean,

obey His voice and all His Will esteem.

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

Being on a Desert Island, with only one other person, would be a real challenge because as a society we rely on and interact with many people. There are those who are well known from the past and there are many who have lived godly lives, quietly getting on with the Lord's work. One such person is Sister Eva of Friedenshort, who having come to faith as a young girl in Germany, chose to give up a very privileged life to help those whom society ignored or wanted to dispose of. She used what resources she had to care for abandoned children and the destitute, seeking to show the love of Christ whilst teaching them the word of God. With often poor health and little resources, she gave everything in order to point people to the Saviour. Her calm manner was a testimony to the love and grace of God. She proved again and again that He is able to supply all needs and many were richly blessed because of her sacrificial life in which she always gave glory to her heavenly father.

Christ for us: Our righteousness

Christ in us: Our sanctification

Christ through us: Our strength

This was her motto and the word impossible in the work was not in her vocabulary as she believed with all her heart that with God all things are possible in His will. An ideal person to be with on a Desert Island.

Jonny Raine, Cwmbran

I actually have a secret desire to visit a desert island. In fact, specifically, I’d like to make a trip to the south pacific to visit some of the atolls – ring shaped islands with a lagoon in the centre. I’m not sure I’d like to be isolated from civilisation for all that long though, so a short trip would about do it for me.

Which verses would you take to the island?

…Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine. Ezekiel 47:1-12

If I may make a slight break with the pattern, I’d take a passage rather than a smattering of isolated verses. Since preaching through the book of Ezekiel four years ago, my favourite passage has been Ezekiel 47:1-12.

This passage is wonderfully poetic and rich in imagery. Ezekiel has had a vision of the newly rebuilt temple and he’s looking around. Then he’s shown this trickling stream coming from out of the temple. He walks through it and the river gets deeper and deeper until he cannot stand in its depths. As he looks to the banks of the river which are littered with trees on either side. Fruit trees abound bearing fruit every month and with leaves that heal. And he’s told it flows into the Dead Sea, where it turns the salty water into fresh water and brings it to life, teeming with fish.

It’s so profound in describing how all the richness of life and abundance flows out of Jesus, both now and especially in all that we receive in the new heavens and earth. It’s likely picked up by Jesus when he speaks of living waters flowing out of the believer (John 7:38) and in Revelation 22 when it speaks of the river flowing through the eternal city with the tree of life on either side, bringing fruit each month and with leaves that heal.

I love the picture language in the Ezekiel passage, given those allusions. But I still don’t feel like I’ve plumbed its depths, so I’d like to spend time meditating on it more. It conveys so much of the delights of the gospel and of all we have in Jesus.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

Having broken with tradition, let me just choose one other verse that powerfully struck me thirteen years ago in my own Bible reading times and that has remained with me ever since. God’s love is generously extravagant and poured out upon us to the point that we are called his children. How brilliant is that! And that is what we are!

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

I think one obvious candidate for company would be the recently deceased, Eugene Peterson. I found his book ‘The Pastor’ so helpful, as well as some of his other books, and would love to spend more time chatting things through with him. I’m sure he would have a wealth of wisdom to share. Another person that would be good to have on the island is Johnny Cash, so long as he can bring his guitar. He’d be good to have around for his music and stories.

But perhaps my top choice would be Andreas Bodenstein of Karlstadt. He was around at the same time as Martin Luther and made advances more quickly than Luther did. Some would say he moved too quickly on things (Luther included), but I’m not convinced.

When he was left in charge of the church at Wittenberg, because Luther was in hiding, he made some important changes. For example, he opened up the Lord’s Supper to all believers rather than just the minister and he conducted the service in the common language of the people rather than in Latin. As time went on, he stopped wearing Priests clothing and wore the clothing of peasants, as he had a particular burden to reach them. I’m sure he didn’t get everything right, but he would certainly be an interesting person to talk through and to get a different kind of insight into the reformation than what we’re more familiar with.

Which song would you take to the island?

Well, if I were taking something that wasn’t a Christian song, an all-time favourite album is Nimrod by Greenday. If it had to be one track from that album, then it would predictably be Good Riddance (Time of your Life). More recently I’ve been enjoying listening to Youth Lagoon. And if I had to choose one track from his three albums, it’d probably be 17.

But, being a bit more spiritual, my choice at the moment would be Man of Sorrows, Lamb of God. It expresses so wonderfully the narrative and meaning of the crucifixion in its verses and our joy in the chorus; but the bridge is the high point for me, brilliant biblical truth there!

Man of sorrows Lamb of God
By His own betrayed
The sin of man and wrath of God
Has been on Jesus laid

Silent as He stood accused
Beaten mocked and scorned
Bowing to the Father's will
He took a crown of thorns

Oh that rugged cross
My salvation
Where Your love poured out over me
Now my soul cries out
Hallelujah
Praise and honour unto Thee

Sent of heaven God's own Son
To purchase and redeem
And reconcile the very ones
Who nailed Him to that tree

Now my debt is paid
It is paid in full
By the precious blood
That my Jesus spilled
Now the curse of sin
Has no hold on me
Whom the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed

See the stone is rolled away
Behold the empty tomb
Hallelujah God be praised
He's risen from the grave

Geoff Thomas, London

My Mother and My Debt

My mother, Bess, was one of four children, one of whom had learning difficulties; they lived in a little terrace house in Merthyr Tydfil. Her father worked as a ganger for the railroad and her Uncle Oliver was converted in the 1904 Welsh Revival, for the rest of his life was an evangelist. Uncle Oliver carried a text around the town and he preached in the open air on Saturday nights; He could never resist the opportunity presented to him when he was with a crowd of people to talk to them all about the Lord Jesus Christ. If it were a day trip to the seaside, he would get up, leave his children making sandcastles and talk to the people sitting on the beach; “Isn’t this a lovely day, ladies and gentlemen? And do you know that it was God who made this world and he sent his own dear son, Jesus Christ, to be the Saviour of all who put their trust in him…” If his brother-in-law, a farmer, was hosting a family gathering then the men would go for a walk on the mountain in the afternoon and the women would make the farmhouse supper. It would not be long before Uncle Oliver spoke to the men, “Let us have a word of prayer to thank God for his glory and goodness to us.” And he would take the same evangelistic initiative if he were speaking to one person, for example to my cousin: “Look, Bobi, at this patch of ground, at the flowers and clover and grasses, here and here and here. Let us thank God for his presence with us.” My cousin told me how powerful it was. The Lord used Uncle Oliver powerfully in my mother’s conversion.

On Fridays, Uncle Oliver led some youth meetings; writing songs and teaching them to the twenty children who attended. My mother was a young teenager at the time, during the First World War, and she attended every Friday. It was at some time during those years, that she ‘gave her heart’ to Jesus Christ quite artlessly, and then simply followed him all her life.

My mother was betrayed by the liberals who occupied the pulpit in the Baptist church she attended, but lacked any discernment to pass judgement on them. She simply went to gospel meetings, anniversary services, and conventions and listened intently to the messages. But, in 1929, Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones came to speak in her town and she heard him. When I went to hear him thirty years later, she recalled to me some of the things he had said that she had never forgotten: “See the opposition to the gospel here in the New Testament and the muddles people made of their lives then. It is just the same today. Man does not change, and neither does the gospel.” When I would hear him, he would still be saying the same.

I went with her to the Baptist Chapel, and she gave me an imperial mint to suck after the third hymn. We moved to Hengoed, a church which had its origins in the conversion of a number of people at Mount Pleasant, Maesycwmmer. Their evangelistic earnestness was not there appreciated and they moved across the valley to Hengoed and planted this church. The older members had a stirring testimony and there my mother and I worshipped. One Sunday night in March 1954 I was given assurance as I heard the Word of God that the atonement of Christ covered my guilt and through him God accepted me, and then I was baptised.

My mother always sang the old hymns under her breath, quite unconscious that she was doing so, throughout her life. “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds,” “Jesus the very thought of Thee,” “Crown him with many crowns,” and so on. One day, a close friend, Brian, said to me, “Your mother is remarkable isn’t she?” “Yeah…” I said cautiously, looking for some explanation to his remark. He said, “The way she sings hymns all the time.” I thought, “His mother doesn’t sing hymns!?” I thought every mother sang hymns!

I was my mother’s pastor for the last twenty years of her life. My debt to her is enormous. I long to see her again in heaven. I sometimes think I want to see her more than the Lord Christ; But no, the Lord first and then his bride. I just want to thank her for what she did for me. I never showed her the gratitude that I should have. But she will not know what I am talking about, “When did I help you like that?” she will say, and I will have time to explain.

So, what verses would I find convicting and precious on my desert island?

Her children rise up and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28

A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30

Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. Luke 2:51