Having joined up as a backslider, I found myself at Aldergrove, a Sergeant Air Signaller on Coastal Command Shackleton aircraft. My father, who was then the Pastor at Dromore Baptist Church in County Down, Northern Ireland, set Billy Hall, a Scripture Reader with the Soldiers’ and Aviators’ Scripture Readers’ Association, on to me. Billy so kindly befriended me and used to play billiards and snooker with me in the Sergeant’s Mess at RAF Aldergrove. He used his time wisely getting to know where I was spiritually. I had no peace within and knew well I had gone astray. Yet Billy came back week after week.
One night outside the Sergeants’ Mess he shook my hand and said, “Goodbye, John.” He had not done that before and I said, “Won’t I see you next time?” “No” he said, “You know the truth and you are deliberately defying the Saviour and I can’t have that, goodbye.” He turned and went into the night. If he had punched me hard, I couldn’t have felt worse. I went back to my room, got down on my knees and for the first time in some years prayed, asking the Lord for mercy. Oh! what a transformation. The Lord began to direct my life and gave me peace within. During the next year I began to study God’s Word, the Bible, got married to my childhood sweetheart, and was sent on a specialist course.
Well, the rest is history of 36 years in the RAF uniform, where there have been sad, disappointing, and difficult days, but through it all the Lord has blessed me far beyond expectation. I retired in 1989, when life expectancy of RAF aircrew was said to be 5 to 10 years, yet God has kept me and sent other fellow pilgrims to cheer and encourage me along the way. How I pray that any who read this may know the ‘joy that Jesus gives,’ strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
*Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/@lebele