My Father's Love

I spent the first two years of my life with my mother, but I do not remember much about it. My mother put me in a children's home when I was two, but I can not complain about my childhood, I was well looked after, the only thing that was missing was a mothers love, but
I never blamed her for giving me up. I always went to Sunday school so I knew about Jesus.

When I was fifteen I was found a place to live in a young women's youth hostel and a job was also found for me.

Then I met Neville and got married at seventeen, I was so young, I guess I was looking for the love I never had. During the course of the marriage I had four beautiful children two boys and two girls. I was so busy taking care of my family that I never thought much about Jesus and I stopped going to Church. But I always sent my children to Sunday school, so they also know about Jesus.

Over the years the children would ask me if I would try and find my mother, but I did not have any information I did not even know her name, my children eventually left home and had children of their own.

Then in year 2004 I needed a new passport as my husband and I were planning a holiday but in order to get a new passport I needed my birth certificate but I had misplaced it. But the birth certificate that I had misplaced was only a small one, just having my place of birth on it. So I sent off for another one, when it arrived I could not believe it, my mother's name was on it, I was so happy just to know what her name was, that was enough for me.

Anyway I asked a friend who I worked with if she would put my mother's details on the internet and see if anyone knew her. Thinking nothing would come of it I was pleasantly surprised that within the year of looking for my mother, one of my nieces on my mother's side got in touch with my friend via internet, and gave her a number which I could contact her on, and it all took off from there.

Then I met my five sisters and six brothers, it was so over whelming, and they knew all about me, they knew of my existence!!! My mother had told them all about me, she had never forgotten me, and they were all so very nice to me and really welcomed me. But the sad thing is that my mother died eleven years previously so I never got a chance to see her, but I did get a photograph of her.

In 2007 my life changed radically, I was on a visit to my daughter's who lives in London, and we started talking about God. And a feeling came over me, I wanted to know more about this God I had heard so much about over the years, but had not taken the time to get to really know. This was to be a turning point in my life, this is where my walk with God began. When I returned home to Huddersfield I immediately joined a Church which was to be St Thomas's Church and this is where I have continued to grow in God, my faith and understanding has grown.

Looking back over my life I know that God has always been there, guiding and protecting me although I never had my mother's love I have always had my Heavenly Father's Love.

Pauline McIntosh