Helen Kallow
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My name is Helen Kallow and I am married to Jonathan. We have two lovely children, Joseph (nearly 3) and Esther (7 months).
I had the great privilege of being brought up in a Christian family and always attended church. As a young child, my greatest desire (apart from having a pony) was to be in the church choir. The music of my church had a great impact on my life and I still remember a lot of it now. As I read the bible more, I realised how much of it I had absorbed through the words and music I love so much. It was such a good way of learning about and singing of the glory of God.
As it was an Episcopal (Anglican) Church, I was offered the opportunity of Confirmation. This is when, after a series of classes to discuss what it is all about, you can publicly confess your faith. I would say this period is when I really became a Christian- I knew what I believed and wanted to stand up and say it. I was 13 at the time and although I continued to read my bible and pray, it did not seem to make much difference to my life. I continued to be a bossy, lazy, selfish teenager with a few good moments (I hope!).
University seems to be make or break time for many. God was working in me right from the first week as I felt I should go along to some of the Christian Union Fresher’s Week activities and met people who were to remain friends throughout Uni. I became quite involved in the Christian Union, where I met Jonathan. I joke that he put up a poster and I responded! The poster was actually for a small group bible study in our Halls of Residence and there were other members, not just me! My faith was greatly strengthened throughout these years and I served on the CU Executive Committee as Treasurer and then Small Groups Coordinator. University was a great time as it was possible to have good debates with people, in classes and outside, invite them along to events and even make a stand in the way you wrote your essays.
After University, Jonathan and I married and set up our home in Glasgow for a few months before settling in Larbert. God’s hand was so apparent as we had no real idea of where to go. The only person we knew in Larbert moved away just weeks before we arrived! As newcomers to the church we were so struck by the warm welcome. We were immediately invited round to the Small’s house for supper. We have enjoyed so much hospitality in this fellowship and are firm believers in opening our home to share with others. There was nothing better when we were at Uni than to be invited to a real ‘home’ for lunch on a Sunday.
As a mother of two happy children I feel very blessed; after mourning with those who mourned I did feel anxious at times and found it hard to trust in God. However, God sometimes uses your children to change you. When Esther was a few days old, I constantly prayed for her to stop crying. It was only when I realised that I was to pray for the grace to cope with it that things actually got a lot better. God sometimes requires that we change, rather than the situation.
Becoming a parent has brought many challenges: how to find the time to read the bible, pray and do the washing-up, the need to learn what all Thomas the Tank Engine’s friends are called, how to eat really quickly (balancing a baby on your knee), how to remember what life was like for you and your husband pre-children. It also brings so many opportunities. I have felt genuinely moved at the pleasure a small baby can bring when we have visited those who are at home alone for much of the week. The number of people who stop and talk to you in the street, the increased contact with your neighbours, time to spend getting to know new people- all these things I have enjoyed. I believe that God gives us different ways to serve at different periods of our lives and I hope that this time spent with people in this way is pleasing to Him.
I have also enjoyed doing the Discipleship course and would thoroughly recommend it, so if anyone is interested, see Norman. I’m sure there must be others who would appreciate spending time with another Christian, getting to know God’s Word better and building new relationships or strengthening old ones. I want to thank all those in the church who have given so much support to us as a couple and as parents and pray that we would be able to offer back to others some of what we have received.
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