I did it his way

At the age of 42 I had achieved much of what the world says is important. Married, with a loving wife and three great children, a lovely home and, as Managing Director of my own printing company, I enjoyed great financial benefits.

But the dream was becoming a nightmare. My largest customer base was the Scotch whisky industry and with like-minded friends I was paying the price of socialising in the drink-orientated society of Glasgow. I had a major drink problem and was on the verge of alcoholism.

I had no time for Christianity, I was much too busy getting on with the important things of life. For the generation in its early 20s who had come through the dull post-war years, the 1960s were an exciting and liberating time. The promotion of the permissive society set the mould for the life-style that followed and, by 1982, my addiction to drink was causing huge problems with my health, family and business. The hellish thing was I couldn’t see it. My mantra was ‘work hard and play hard’!

Scared witless

That was the scenario that fateful Friday night when around 8.00 pm I had my ‘Damascus Road’ experience. I had a vision of what, at the time, I imagined to be hell. I have only ever been able to describe it as resembling the moonscape when we viewed it on black and white TV during the lunar landings. It was a cold landscape, dark and horrible, but somehow alive and very frightening. The temperature was extraordinarily cold and I stood transfixed. I was freezing cold, scared witless and utterly overcome with dread.

I phoned a neighbour who I knew was a Christian and he came round immediately and when I told him what was happening he prayed — the vision faded, the temperature came back to normal and the awful fear left me, though I was still very shaken.

Minister’s prayer

When my wife Joyce came home she told me that, while visiting her mother that evening, the local Church of Scotland minister had paid a visit. When he asked how life was with her, Joyce broke down as she described the situation at home: my drinking and the damage it was doing to us all. The minister said, ‘Joyce, all I can offer you is prayer’. She then told me that he prayed for her, for me and for the family.

Astonished, and sensing that this was directly related to my own experience earlier that evening, I asked Joyce, ‘What time did this happen?’ She replied ‘about 8 o’clock’. I then excitedly exclaimed, ‘Well, you should hear what happened here about 8 o’clock’, and related the evening’s events to my wife.

The next day I awoke and discovered, to my amazement, that my desire for alcohol had gone. I went to the kitchen cupboard, brought out the bottle and poured it down the sink, telling Joyce, ‘I don’t know what’s happening to us but I know this no longer plays any part in our lives’.

God of miracles

I’ve often looked back to that moment and realised that God is a God of miracles for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. This truth should be a wonderful encouragement for those who pray for God to intervene in the lives of their loved ones.

The following Sunday morning I had an overwhelming desire to attend church. Walking through the doorway of the church building, a voice spoke clearly within me and into my mind came the memory of a long forgotten evening at Ibrox Park when, at the age of 15, I went forward in response to Billy Graham’s invitation to accept Christ and the realisation that, though I had forgotten about God, God had never forgotten about me, and I sensed him say, ‘Welcome home’.

I listened to the minister’s sermon and though it didn’t mean much to me at the time, what did make an impact was him reading from the Bible a portion of Romans 8. When he came to the passage beginning at verse 35 that reaches its climax in verse 39 with the glorious truth that ‘nothing can separate us from the love of God which is shown to us in Christ Jesus our Lord’, I began to silently weep.

Saved!

Romans 10.17 says that ‘faith comes through hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ’. Up until that point, in all that had been happening to me since Friday night, I had not allowed the Word of God to speak to me. But now, sitting in tears in that church pew, thinking of what I had heard in my heart as I entered the church, and what God had said to me from Romans 8, I was convicted of my sin and convinced of my need of Jesus to save me from the hellish future awaiting me illustrated in my vision on Friday night.

Suddenly I ‘saw it’. Where before there had been spiritual darkness and inconclusive discussions about Christianity that always ended with pointless questions about dinosaurs, other faiths — I now realised God loved me, and loved me so much he sent his Son to die for me. And most importantly, as Jesus had died for my sins by paying the price I deserved to pay, I was forgiven and my debt was paid. I was saved!

I confessed my sin to God, asked for his forgiveness and for Jesus to be my Saviour and Lord. So, at 42 years old I became a Christian. Upon returning home I told Joyce what I had done and, praise God, she did the same. Together we entered a new life, little knowing all the exciting changes God had in store for us.

Decisions

I then made a number of decisions that were to have a far-reaching effect upon my life. First, I decided to recognise Jesus as the chairman of our printing company. This would mean no longer printing for the Scotch whisky industry or anything else I considered to be offensive to Jesus. This was a high-risk strategy. So, to broaden our customer base I decided to actively pursue Christian-based organisations with a view to printing for them. We also began an early morning office prayer meeting on Mondays for anyone who wished to attend. We held a Bible study meeting in the factory every Thursday lunchtime. We employed a number of previously unemployed Christians who were unable to find work (for example, men just out of prison), and endeavoured to establish them and their families in the Christian life. Also, I was not prepared to work on Sundays. I felt that as my family and I were able to benefit from a special day away from the workplace with an opportunity to worship the Lord, then I would not deprive my workforce of that same benefit.

Business plan

I then met with my bank manager who turned grey when I told him about my new business plan. But my thinking was simple: I had given my life to Jesus and entrusted it to him for all eternity. He certainly could look after my printing company and was able to do a better job than I could. The bottom line for me was based on the rationale that either the Bible is true or it’s not. Either God is who he says he is and can do all the miraculous things he says he can, or he can’t.

Space does not allow me to tell of all that happened in the years following as God worked in his unique way. Suffice to say, through an amazing set of miracles, our company was transformed and wonderfully used by God. Then, after a number of financial difficulties, we were to lose our company and our home, everything we had worked so hard for was abruptly taken from us. The test then was, is God still good when every appearance is the opposite? The answer is he was, he is, and he always will be. We moved to work with CPO (Christian Publicity Organisation) in Worthing where my years of marketing experience in the printing industry was put to ‘Kingdom’ service, followed by the call to Bible College and full-time ministry.

Bottom line

Looking back on our time of loss I realise that I lost nothing of lasting value; God’s love is not measured by the success or failure of a printing company. What then have I gained? An intimacy and knowledge of God that is beyond price and the privilege of working for him in proclaiming his gospel message which will reward me throughout eternity.

The bottom line is this: if I had been left in my former lifestyle, I would by now be dead, in hospital, in prison or living as an embittered, lonely alcoholic in some dingy flat. Whereas, by accepting Christ’s gift of salvation and his invitation to follow him, I have enjoyed a loving marriage, a terrific family life with three great children and an exciting and fulfilling work which has brought me genuine friends the length and breadth of the country. And, even more: I can look forward with complete assurance to walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death holding the nail-pierced hand of the Good Shepherd and enjoying his company in glory throughout eternity — you can’t beat that!

Hugh’s full story can be read in his book I did it His way. Details at http://www.hjpublishing.co.uk or from H&J Publishing, 8 Albion Crescent, Lincoln LN1 1EB.

Hugh Hill tells us his story