Romans 8.28 became the verse that all our family had on the wall

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

‘Romans 8.28 became the verse that all our family had on the wall. It says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. 

‘It became particularly poignant when I was in Northern Ireland as a Salvation Army officer. On 19 May 1974 there was a general strike, so there was no gas or electricity at certain hours of the day. So, we decided to go window shopping. 

‘We heard a bomb and saw a cloud of smoke at the bottom of town. We rushed away to get the children out of there. But we went in the wrong direction. There were three letter bombs and we walked into the second one. My family weren’t hurt, but my right leg was really smashed up. I was in hospital for months. Thirty-nine people were injured, 21 of us seriously. 

‘It worked for good because of what came afterwards. I was able to use my experience to help other people. Before I was injured, I was working with the police and emergency services counselling people after injuries. When I could work again, I learned more about counselling, and learned about finance, and was able to bring my experiences from Northern Ireland to the places that I worked. 

‘I was never angry. People ask me why God allowed that to happen. He didn’t. But he was able to use it for good.’ 

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