My Friend Jesus  

As a young boy hiding under the table was a way to get my own space. With 10 members of the family noisily competing to speak, made me stressed, unbearable and alone. Thank God for Jesus, who from the age of me  at 7 became my best friend

When I was seven, Miss Tucker, a retired missionary and my Sunday School teacher with a knack for storytelling, spun tales of her time in China. She was so descriptive that her stories played out in my head like blockbuster movies.

Miss Tucker spoke about Jesus as if He was her best friend; a lifelong friend she could always count on. I was thrilled to have Jesus as my friend and feeling His presence gave me a real boost. My favourite “movie repeated in my head” was the one where a group of friends made a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down to Jesus for a miraculous healing. It was like the ultimate DIY project but with divine intervention. 

Miss Tucker’s stories were so captivating that my mum, at my request, even invited her to lunch. I was eager, not for the food, but for more tales of Jesus, my newfound hero. That was the point when I became a Christian, and throughout my life in the ups and downs He has been my close friend. My mind turned those stories into vivid pictures, and my favourite hymn, which I remember clearly, was "Tell Me the Stories Of Jesus.” As I write this book, I have been a Christian for 70 years!