My name is Darren Devlin, I am married to my wonderful wife Jayne, and I am blessed with two wonderful children Justin and Tristan. I was brought up in the shankill area of belfast by my grandparents who I love so dearly, I didn't come from a Christian home but was sent to Sunday school religiously until the age of ten, from there I joined the boys brigade and also went to church youth clubs on a Saturday night. As a kid growing up I was spoilt rotten by my grandparents , I was never really in serious trouble, but I would say that I was a little mischievous, all I wanted to do as a kid was become a professional footballer, in the area I came from football was my getaway from all the bad things that was happing during the times of the troubles, but becoming a footballer just wasn't meant to be,maybe god had another plan for me, I always believed in God in my heart but for me it was talking the next step, i.e. what would family and friends think.
My grandfather passed away when I nineteen years old it was a massive loss to me and all my family, not only did I lose my grandfather but I lost my best friend, I think that it was then that I lost all my faith in God, I blamed him for it, after the death of my grandfather I was just happy to watch the world pass me by regrading my faith. That just left me and my grandmother on our own and through the years until her passing we formed the best partnership that no one could ever understand,the love and the caring was just unbreakable. Just before my grandmother Ellie lost her battle with cancer in February 2010 she received a visit from a guy called jackie and it was then that she lovingly accepted Christ as her saviour, I personally want to thank Jackie Mc Coubery because if he had not of called and spoke to my grandmother I would not be a Christian, and my grandmother would have been lost. After my grandmother died the comfort and the peace I found knowing that she was with the Lord was overwhelming. I remember going into work and torturing my Christian friend Paul about the bible and God, I was asking him question after question, everything was leading me to church, I was under conviction, it was then that I needed to get right with God.
I decided to go to Living Hope Church, Belfast because of growing up in the area and knowing a lot of people that go to the church and also the work that the church has done for the community, I said to my wife Jayne that I wanted to go to church, I said sure I'll go once a month to see what it's all about, how wrong was I I've been here now for two years and I haven't looked back, as soon as I walked through the doors I knew that this was the church for me. After attending the church for a couple of months I made the decision that I wanted to get saved, and it was on the Friday fun night that I finally got to speak to Pastor Matt on his own I think that on the fifth attempt shaking like a leaf I told him that I wanted to give my heart to Christ, needless to say Pastor Matt was over the moon and so was I. On the way home that night in the car my son Justin asked me, daddy is that you a Christian now, I said yes son, he then said I want to become a Christian what do I do, I told him the three things that Pastor Matt told me, go to church, read your bible, and pray, so when you get up to the house ask God to come into your life, we arrived at our home got into the house and there was no Justin, I looked behind me and there he was at the side of the car on his knees praying, I said Justin what are you doing, he's reply was you told me to pray when we get up to the house, I said yes son I did but not in the driveway, now get into the house.
I believe that when God called my grandmother he also called me, being a Christian is not easy no one said it was but I know that it's one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I thank my family and my friends for all your support as my Time as a Christian.
I just want to finish of with, how great is our god, he changed my broken-heart into a new heart filled with love and joy.
Darren Devlin
Comments