Bob and Gwyn: Proving God’s Faithfulness Through 53 Years of Marriage

We both had lovely parents who cared and provided for us but who did not teach us about the Christian faith.

However we are grateful to God that we both had the opportunity to go to Sunday School and Bible classes
where we were taught about God from his word, the Bible, and we began to discover how important it was to
come to know God if life was going to make any sense.

Gwyn became a Christian at about the age of 11 and Bob when he was 16. We are thankful for those faithful
Christians who patiently taught us about Jesus and why he came and especially thankful to God that he helped
us see that, by dying for us on the cross, Jesus paid the price for us to be forgiven and be made right with God –
something we could never do by own efforts. We came to believe in him and to know him as our Saviour and our
friend.

We met at a church in Camberwell where we had a mutual friend, a young man just 18 years old, who sadly died
of leukaemia, and yet one who so clearly believed in Jesus – we knew he had gone to be with God in heaven.
When we married we believed God had brought us together and that our lives were to be lived in a way that
pleased him – not that we could get anywhere near to achieving this perfectly. However this aim in our lives
meant that we looked to Him for help and guidance - knowing God through Jesus and his teachings gave us a
sure direction and sense of unity, purpose and contentment in our marriage that is still there 53 years later!

Of course there have been hard times and sad times – The Bible says that in this life you shall have trouble –
and how true that is! But equally true is God’s promise never to leave us or forsake us. One thing a Christian
marriage should produce is a stable loving family and we thank God that as our two precious children came
along we were able to provide them with a loving peaceful home where we trust we were able to show them
something of the best way to live – God’s way.

One of the great things about being a Christian is the love and support that comes from fellow Christians.
Through the years, as we have moved around, we have been members of six different Evangelical Churches –
all of which God used to help us grow in our understanding the Christian Faith – and to make many genuine,
likeminded, friends some of whom we still keep in touch with today.

Jesus speaks of giving those who believe in him abundant life. And that’s truly what it is. An abundance of
peace and hope and joy that comes from knowing all is well between us and God, an abundance of fellowship
with fellow believers, an abundance of promises given us from God assuring us of his love and help in this life
and of our eternal home in heaven.

Jesus said “ I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Johns Gospel chapter 10 verse 10.
Bob & Gwyn Pritchard