Saturday, November 17, 2001 12:53 PM

TLIG changed all that for me

This testimony was sent following a TLIG witnessing meeting in Cardiff a few days ago:

I have been privileged to help organise the visits to Cardiff, Wales, of Vassula in September 1997 and of Mary Harrison on 10th November 2001. Following Mary’s wonderful witness to TLIG in Cardiff, I feel moved to write of my experience of the messages.

My childhood was dominated in the late 1940’s by the death of my father after a long illness. As a child I attended a Methodist Sunday School but fell away from religion in my teens, although I did have an enquiring mind to find out « why are we here? » .

I married in 1967 and have two grown up children. When they were of school age I started to attend an Anglican Church and was confirmed in 1980. The Church was of an Anglo-Catholic tradition where the feasts of Our Lady were observed. I found these difficult as I had no devotion whatsoever to the Blessed Virgin Mary-in fact, almost an antipathy. I felt bogus attending Mass on these special Feasts, so I asked God to change my heart towards His Mother.

Some years ago I came across the messages of True Life In God. Immediately they were like the most delicious food to me and I became a glutton-I couldn’t put them down! I always knew that God loved people, but I had difficulty in believing that God loved ME. Even when I gazed at the Cross, this reality would not sink in. True Life In God changed all that for me. I was overwhelmed by this torrent of love and gradually I came to grasp something of the height, breadth, depth of Christ’s love for me. I felt accepted, cherished; and, thanks be to God, Mary Harrison’s talk brought me into a closer intimacy with such a loving Father.

True Life In God has also been an answer to my prayer about Our Lady, because I see how much she is honoured, loved and revered by Her Beloved Son. Mary Harrison told us that Our Lady is God’s most perfect creation and He has given her to us to be Our Mother. She encouraged us to think of a very small child making a present for his mummy out of bits of string and tissue and imagine how the child would feel when in all his excitement to give it to her she said: « I’m really busy right now son; go and watch the telly and I’ll talk to you later. » The child’s heart would be broken and all his joy dashed. Mary suggested that God must feel like that when we are not interested in the most wonderful present He has created for us, but how His Heart must overflow with joy when we truly love and honour His magnificent gift, Our Blessed Lady.

Life as a mother has brought its heartaches recently, and the example of Mother Mary’s trust and sacrifice, and her approachability and gentleness, have been a support, comfort and inspiration to me.

So thank You, Lord, for Your mighty work in TLIG. God bless Vassula and all witnesses and organisers who work to spread this Love Hymn for all mankind.

Brenda Shewring