Busy! Busy! Busy!

Soon, all thoughts of Canada left us as I settled into my new work as the Head of the Physics Department. I also printed the school newspaper, ran the Christian union, and conducted the school assemblies. I started a teenagers’ fellowship group at our home and watched as God blossomed it into a large work covering seven churches and a wide area around our town. I produced a youth ‘newspaper’ linking local youth works and formed a 50-voice choir performing Easter and Christmas cantatas in local halls, chapels, and prisons. We ran summer camps and weekend youth nights.

One evening I had a telephone call from the local YMCA, a very active and large sporting club; the caller said that they were looking for young blood on their Board and wondered if I might be available, having been recommended to them for my work among local youth. I said I would and shortly afterwards attended my first Board Meeting at which I was made to feel very welcome. As I sat there, I looked around at these extensive premises which were never used on Sundays (these being the days before Sunday sports). I asked how much it would cost me to rent these facilities.

“Nothing!” I was told, “You are now a Board Member, so you are entitled to a key. Just tell the secretary that you want one and what you want it for, and that will be no problem.”

Thus, on Sunday evenings I had free access to the local YMCA, its snack bar and recreation hall, and soon, many young people from local churches came for an 8 o'clock fellowship. Those were special days of the Lord’s blessing where many came to the Lord. The elders of my church gave me ‘carte blanche’ to run the youth and young adults work of the church and many other churches saw me as their own youth worker. In truth I was a pastor-overseer to the youth, having many fine people working with me running the camps, barbecues, outreaches, YMCA programs, and so forth! Through these ministries, many were being led to the Lord!

I was busy, busy, busy! In fact: too busy!

I was beginning to run ahead of the Light!

Eventually, my frenetic pace caught up with me and I began a long spell of sleeplessness. I would walk for hours trying to tire myself enough to sleep, but would then lie awake all night reliving all the events of that day. On one occasion, I seemed to recall every move of the ball in an international rugby game I had watched that day on television. My doctor had prescribed medicine and one of my friends would come around often, in the evenings, to chuckle at me as I staggered across the room on my way to bed. Who wants friends like that?! In school, my students were told not to disturb me if I did not come out of the darkroom which was attached to my physics lab at the end of a break.

They knew I was lying down to rest and were to call the headmaster who would fill in for me! After six months my sleeping returned to normal, but I had discontinued all of my activities except overseeing the youth work.

After five years at Ogmore Grammar School, I was enjoying my work and the friendship of my colleagues. I was not, however, prepared for the next turn of events. New government policy decreed that our school had to join with Nantymoel Secondary School to form a new Comprehensive School, which would have a custom-built facility at the foot of the valley, near our new home in Bridgend. As the youth work had grown, we had sold our little bungalow and moved into this country town, in the centre of the beautiful vale in Glamorgan. Combining schools meant forming a new Staff Association and then electing a representative to serve them on the Board of Governors.

At that time, no teacher was allowed to serve as a governor of a school, so the choosing of a representative was to be done with care. I attended the combined staff meeting with some ideas of whom I would support. I certainly had no thought that I might be considered. I was not one who socialized frequently with other staff, nor was I as long- standing in those valley schools as many of my colleagues. Two hours later, I left that meeting shaking my head in some amazement. I had been unanimously elected both as the president of the new Staff Association and as its representative on the Board of Governors!

I turned to Alan, our geography teacher, who was walking by my side. “I don't believe this,” I said. “Why not?” he replied, “we all know you’re the only one who would always speak the truth,” I whispered a quiet prayer.

“Thank You, Lord, to You be all the Glory!” Then turning back to Alan and added, “Wait till I get home to tell Anne! She won’t believe it either!”