Elaine Horrocks
Elaine
Horrocks
Elaine and Bernard were married in 1973 and have been living in Leighton Buzzard for 40 years. Together they share a love for the outdoors and Bernard has a passion for sport. He enjoys swimming and following both football and rugby league.
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As I spoke, I began to think ‘You know what – this is true’. It was a shock to have such a change in my thinking and I can’t say I was all that keen on becoming a Christian. I mistakenly thought it would be all about not doing the things I enjoyed.”
I was a very argumentative teenager! Gone were the days when, as a child, I would ask my parents to take me to Sunday School at our local Anglican church even though my family were not regular churchgoers. As a teenager studying for A-levels, I thought that science had all the answers and that it was naïve to believe in a God who created the Universe. I still remember the intense discussions with my Physics A-level teacher who, for some strange reason, seemed to believe that God existed.
As I studied Biochemistry at University, I became friends with Nicky. We often worked with each other in the laboratory. As we grew closer, she started to share her faith in Jesus and how it had changed her life. I must admit it got a bit irritating so when she invited me to go and hear John Stott, a well-known Christian evangelist, speak at the Christian Union, I agreed to go, thinking that she would then not bother me again about Jesus.
I listened to John speaking quite a simple Gospel message about how Jesus loved each one of us but that we had gone our own way and been separated from God. He explained how the death of Jesus and His resurrection had made a way back to our Father God possible for us. As he spoke, I began to think “You know what – this is true”. It was a shock to have such a change in my thinking and I can’t say I was all that keen on becoming a Christian. I mistakenly thought it would be all about not doing the things I enjoyed. After a disturbed night, I did eventually make the decision to believe in Jesus and the next morning prayed a short prayer with one of John’s team. It was very much an intellectual decision. I just felt that the Gospel message I had heard was true and therefore I needed to respond to it.
A few years later my husband Bernard had a dramatic encounter with Jesus which left him in tears and drew him into a very strong faith. He seemed so full of life and joy that I began to wonder why I didn’t feel the same. As I wrestled with this, I began to realise I needed to fall in love with Jesus. The belief that I had in my head needed to drop down into my heart.
I spent more and more time with Jesus worshipping Him, praying, reading the Bible and just telling Him how much I loved Him. The realisation that being a Christian is entering into a love relationship with Jesus that draws us close to our heavenly Father, began to hit me. Nearly 50 years later I am more in love with Jesus than I have ever been. Life has brought challenges, particularly chronic illness, but Jesus has always been there. He is the greatest love of my life.