Peter Birley
The Baker
"By nine o'clock he was dead. I was devastated, not because we were close, but because our lives were so similar... why should it happen to him and not to me? It wasn't me this time but it would be my turn eventually. If it had happened to me now where would I go?"

My Story
I was born as the third child into what became a big family, I now have four brothers and four sisters. We were poor but our parents were very good to us and we have lots of really happy childhood memories that we like to reminisce over when we get together.
We went to Sunday School at the village Methodist Chapel where we had lots of fun. I suppose it was a useful distraction while Mum and Dad got Sunday dinner ready. When I was about twelve I remember making a conscious decision that I didn't want to go any more, it was all right for girls but not for me.
I had a 'normal' adolescence, being a pain to my parents, late nights, loud music, drinking, smoking, going out with girls and all the usual things. I was sixteen when I met a young fellow my age who worked near to where I worked. We became quite good friends and, although not 'bosom buddies', we'd often do things together.
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Time went on as time does and we went our separate ways. Each of us married and had children, and then, when I was thirty two, we met up again. He came to work at the place where I was working at the time. We were pleased to see each other after so many years and reminisced about times past while catching up on the 'in between' years. One fateful morning he arrived for work at eight o'clock and on his first job the dumper he was driving tipped over on him. He wasn't injured at all but was trapped with the weight on his chest so that he couldn't breath. By nine o'clock he was dead. I was devastated, not because we were close, but because our lives were so similar. We both had wives, we both had children, we worked at the same place, we were the same age. We weren't thieves or murderers, we were just ordinary blokes doing our best for our families, but neither of us cared anything about God.
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I was full of mixed emotions, sad for his wife and daughter, but glad it wasn't me. But why should it happen to him and not to me? It wasn't me this time but it would my turn eventually. If it had happened to me now where would I go? All this Heaven and Hell stuff, it never mattered before but it mattered now. Eventually things settled, the funeral was over followed by the inquiry and everything got back to 'normal', but not quite. I decided that I would sort this Heaven and Hell thing outonce and for all. I began to ask God to help me if He was there. I made various enquires of people who you would think ought to know, like the local Vicar and Churchgoing friends, but got nowhere.
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Eventually I decided that I would read the Bible for myself, again asking God to help me. As I was looking round for a Bible to buy I came across one in the Doctors surgery which had been left by the Gideons. I telephoned the number that was inside the front cover and spoke to a man who was a real Christian. He gave me a Bible free (my kind of price) and encouraged me to read it for myself. As time went on he kept in touch and helped me to read on. Eventually he invited me to the Church where he went. Here I met more real Christians who not only read the Bible but lived their lives according to it. As I read on I discovered in the Bible things that I already feared, that sin had been accumulating in my life and that I couldn't go to Heaven like that. I discovered that Hell was real and I was facing it, but I also learned the remedy to that problem. I discovered that though my sin had to be punished, God loved me and was willing to send Jesus to take my punishment. If I was willing to admit I'd done wrong and ask Him to forgive me my past life would be forgiven and I would start anew.
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It was so obvious, why hadn't I seen it before? All that talk around Easter every year about Jesus dying on the cross even though He never did anything wrong? All that talk in Sunday School about Jesus dying for me? Why had I been so blind?
It was the simplest thing to pray a simple prayer admitting my sin and pleading for forgiveness. I knew right away that my life had been changed forever and that my place in Heaven was reserved.
I remember with gratitude where I came from and the love our parents showed us. Now I look forward to where I'm going because of the love God showed me.