Baptisms - February 2007

Beth Swale's story ....

I have been coming to church ever since I was little, as it was part of my Christian upbringing. I joined the Girls’ Brigade and went to Junior Church when I was younger and learnt about Jesus from there.

I didn’t mind coming to church as I found it fun in the Sunday School and I used to like coming up to the front to help out with the “Talk with the Family”. But as I grew older, I started to become uninterested in the things we did in Sunday School so stayed in church the odd week, but I didn’t enjoy that much either as I didn’t understand the sermons, and ended up dreading coming the church. This continued for quite a long time.

When I moved up to Year 7 I began to have problems with several people at my school. I was nicknamed “Beaver” by some of the older boys because of my teeth, whispered about between some girls in my year, and sworn at on various occasions. I would not stand my ground and would run into the nearest toilets to cry. These nasty comments knocked down my self-confidence and I became very quiet at school. I used to kid myself that if I became quiet I would make myself invisible so no-one would be mean to me. I would normally clear off to the library because my friends would sometimes leave me out or end up ignoring me because I was so very quiet.

I began to find talking to people my age quite hard and would speak very quietly and quickly because I was very nervous. I would also be quite embarrassed when paid compliments because I thought people didn’t mean it or were having a private joke.

I moved into Eternity at church and found I was enjoying the things we did there, and so the staying in at Church became less and less frequent. I was interested in the things I was told and began to think there was something more to being a Christian.

In 2005 I had been in Eternity for around a year and was invited to the Youth Weekend that September. I said, “Yes!”, and brought my friend, Becca, from school along with me. When the weekend arrived I was really excited and tried to forget about school so it wouldn’t spoil the weekend. When we arrived, we all settled in and had dinner in one of the shelters. After dinner and a quick game, Simon told us to lay down on this big groundsheet and look up at the sky. There were a few giggles and nudges passed around, but then all the lights went out and we were all silent.

“Why don’t you take something home from this weekend at the beginning rather than the end?” Simon asked us. “Just look at the stars. God loves you further than all those stars and back. Deep inside every single one of us, we want to know about that love and experience it, but we just shut it out because of friends or family. It’s just like a child. Sometimes it doesn’t want feeding, sometimes it isn’t tired, it just wants reassurance. It wants to know that it’s loved. Well we’re all like that child. We don’t want food or a nap, we just want to be reassured that we’re loved. And you can be guaranteed that from one person – and that’s God.”

I lay on that groundsheet thinking over what Simon said, and all of a sudden it all fitted into place! I understood! I’d finally discovered God for myself! And on that groundsheet, Friday, 23rd September 2005, I said, “Yes” to God and became a Christian.

I didn’t notice everyone else getting up off the groundsheet and going back to the huts. I just laid there for a little longer.

When I stood up I just burst into tears. I was so happy and felt amazing! Richard Earl came up to me and gave me a hug and chatted to me for a bit about God. He asked me what had happened on the groundsheet, so I told him and he explained to me that I had just experienced God and that he would talk to Claire. And then he pointed out a bat flying past.

I went away and had a chat with Claire after she’d spoken to Rich, and she was really pleased for me. For the rest of the weekend, I learnt a lot more about God and found I was talking a lot more! It was a brilliant weekend!!!

When I got back to school the following Monday, I prayed to God that I wouldn’t have a hard time, and I didn’t! It was also great because I found that I was talking a lot more! I stood up to the people who gave me hassle, and I haven’t had any more trouble from then any more.

Because I spoke more, my friends took more notice of me and sometimes if I started rambling they would joke, “You know what Beth? I preferred it when you were quiet!”

So why am I standing her today? – I am here today because God has moved me many steps forward in the past 18 months or so, and I’d just like to thank him for that and let him know that I love him and want to follow him for the rest of my days.