Ray's Story
I was born and raised in North Bay just after World War 2 started. I was the sixth child in a Catholic family with 1 brother and 4 sisters. Growing up, I always loved music—my mother was quite proud of me when I would sing around the house. In my early teens, besides being an altar boy, I got hooked on drums. I played rock’n’roll music (Bill Haley and the Comets etc.) with a group of guys called “The Coins.” Eventually the Coins grew up and went their separate ways. I worked in Toronto for the Ministry of Transportation and Communications as a Highway Design Technician. My job was to review highway construction plans and report any errors to the engineers. It was there that I met Chris, go married and we are still living ‘happily ever after.’
Growing up, I thought baptism as a child transformed me into a Christian. When I was approximately 40 years old, I went to a Christian conference and was asked “are you a Christian” and my response was, “I think I am.” The man preaching said “there are many cultural Christians in the world who know all about Jesus but they don’t have a personal relationship with Him.” When I heard that, I knew God was trying to tell me something. I asked Jesus to come into my heart and be my Lord and Saviour.
My response to some religious teaching earlier in my life left me with a very negative view of myself—I considered myself a ‘bad boy’. I saw God as an authority in my life who was not happy with my performance. Not long after I was saved, I was talking to my pastor about my life and I made the comment that “you must think I’m a very bad person.” He looked straight into my eyes and said “Ray, all I see in you is Jesus.” That was the beginning of seeing the work of Christ in my life. I still wrestle in this area—every time I see that I have failed as a Christian, the enemy tries to tell me that I’m a bad person. But people in my life, especially my wife Christine, have encouraged me to see my identity as it is established by the Father. Now I see God as a good Father that desires righteousness, peace and joy for His children which, in His mercy, grace and love, He has given us through the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross. The first part of John 3:16 is one of my favourite verses, “God so loved the world.”
You are over 80 years old now, which is hard to believe. What advice would you now give to your younger self?
Don’t try to run the race alone because the only resources you have are in your head. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you God’s established purpose for your journey and look for men and women that you trust and who are submitted to the Father and ask them for help in your journey.
