Counties Evangelist Stevie Walker shares the testimony of Richie who tells us how God never let go of him through his darkest moments when he even contemplated suicide.

Stevie and Natalie Walker

Stevie and Natalie live in Paignton and have seven children. He works with churches in the South Devon area helping them to reach out and share Jesus. Stevie helps at coffee mornings in different churches. He is particularly passionate about sharing the Good News through open-air preaching and door-to-door knocking. He is continually seeking to help equip other people and churches to go out and share the Gospel in the local community.

Stevie says:

“This is Richie's story, it is an answer to our prayers and a real encouragement to see him and his family back at Great Parks Chapel.”

Richie and his family

RICHIE’S STORY

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.”  1 Peter 5:7 

I grew up in a family without God or any faith, I wouldn't say we were atheists, but we would only be shown God at Christmas, etc.

In 2010 I met my now wife, Fi, whose family had members who had a close relationship with God. Her grandparents, Vic and Mary, helped me to understand more about God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They had connections with the Great Parks church which I started attending.

I went on the Alpha course and was encouraged to give my life to the Lord in 2016. At this time I had a good understanding of progressing with God but I felt like I had to continue to control my life. So, I thought I knew what it was to follow Jesus but I didn't.

I carried on with life and continued to be busy doing what I thought were the right things, but then Covid came along and I had to stop attending church and meeting with other Christians. I also made excuses and started to drift further away from God and started doing things I thought were making me happy. 

In 2021 my dad got cancer and decided to sell the house we were living in. I felt hate and that I was just an unlucky guy. I felt all the good I'd done for others was not being repaid. Things went downhill from there with my mental health. I felt like I had to do everything on my own and everyone was against me and I thought my family would be better off without me. This went on for a few weeks and I had the number for the Samaritans on my phone, just in case.

Then a few months ago, a friend lost his brother, who I had known. I had spent a few evenings at his house previously, at a men’s club learning about God. I found this news out on Facebook.

As I continued to read the comments one comment stood out, it was from someone saying: "This is sad, and I don't know what I'm going to do without him being around to guide me." A reply to that comment was: "He would say: ‘Let's pray about it’". This was my first little nudge towards going back to church.

For a week or so after that post, my mind kept saying I needed to do something to help my mental health and I was thinking how to connect with my Great Parks friends again.

Then one evening, I felt quite low and wanted five minutes of peace away from life, so I went to the shop for a chocolate bar and a beer. As I was walking there, a teenager was walking just behind me but he was in earshot. He was on the phone, speaking louder than I thought he needed to, and I just thought: "Ah, isn't that my luck, just when I wanted five minutes of peace."

Then I started to hear his side of the conversation. He said something about having a great day and being busy. Then he started to list what he had done. He began by saying how he had gone to church, then had a nice walk with family in Dartmouth, and right there I thought: "Wow, that's what I liked to do a few years ago!”

Then it came to me, that as he was a young guy talking about church and happiness, I felt God was calling me to go to church as soon as possible.

It was Easter a couple of days later and I thought: “Perfect, I can make excuses and say to my daughter, Lola, that I wanted to come for the Easter service.  I knew I didn't need excuses, but I felt it would be easier to talk to people if I had an excuse lined up.

I walked into church that morning and it was Stevie at the front and he greeted me with the usual: “Good to see you, and how are you?” I replied: “Yeah, good to see you too.” But I kinda shunned the: “How are you?” bit and went quiet.

I sat through the sermon listening occasionally but I kept thinking about how I was going to find the courage to speak to somebody. So, after the service, I felt pushed to make a B-line for Stevie again. He took me into a private area and I told him honestly what was on my mind. This isn't what I would usually do, but felt it was the right thing at the right time.

Stevie helped me with a great passage from 1 Peter, about casting my anxiety on the Lord and he helped me to realise what I knew I had to do and come back to God in every way. This felt so much more because of how low I felt myself and I felt like I had truly been saved; saved from myself and what I felt I could've done - and that was something silly at any time.

Then like a complete ‘boom’ in my world, all my worries, anxiety, and fears were lifted. I felt love, I felt connected, and I felt I had people on my side with me and, most importantly, I had Jesus - the King of all Kings - guiding me.

Now I look at life from a completely different angle and I do my best to let God control every part of me. I still make mistakes but through a new love of prayer and Scripture reading, I understand how to accept these mistakes and work on not making the same mistakes again.