Communication

My Redemption Story, Never Too Young To Serve The Lord

by Janice S Ramkissoon 
10/04/25
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When the Rev. Chisholm shared on marriage, before starting the Bible study session (from Matthew 25:1-13--the parable of the ten virgins) God was speaking to a need I didn’t yet know I had. It was a need I am becoming more aware of in my now marriage of 25 years.

Rev. Chisholm, being my pastor at the time, stood in the place of an earthly father, in teaching Biblical principles, I would need to apply to my spiritual walk. At that time, I was with my grandfather, learning at the feet of Jesus, through the gifting of our pastor.

Side note: your youth does not disqualify you from using your gift of teaching/leading. See 1 Timothy 4:12 which I use to encourage our son on his journey.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

My grandfather was in his winter years while my pastor, at the time, was in the spring/summer years of his life yet he brought his grand-daughter to hear God’s Word through a young pastor. He himself was submitted to that young pastor’s leadership--another beautiful picture I’m now recalling.

That night, during the Bible study, Rev. Chisholm, through his sharing, indirectly gave me permission to freely speak about marriage which I now do through my articles and conversations with others.

Another thing I learned, that night, was that it’s okay to ask God to show me the way, when I don’t know which way to go. Prior to that, I saw God as a Judge waiting to dish out the punishment when I mess us. I lived in fear of judgment so I could never relate to Him as a loving caring and present Father. Today, I am thankful for the lessons learned, through my exposure to Rev. Chisholm and other leaders I’ve encountered on the way as well as through my personal marriage and parenting ministry whilst on the journey of searching for and eventually finding my absent father.

We Pray, God Delivers, We Testify

Growing up, I watched/heard my prayer-warrior grandmother interceding for others. Her faithfulness in prayer, helps me to now say with confidence that prayer changes things. Nevertheless, that night, through my pastor’s openness in sharing his experience, was the point on my journey when I learned the importance of prayer and sharing.

I stayed connected to my home church when I  migrated to the UK (joining my mother and step-father). London was to be my new home, the place where I would eventually meet the man of my dreams. God, in His sovereignty, allowed me to sit under the teaching of my Rev. Chisholm (soaking up Biblical principles to effectively live out my faith) before leaving for London. The sadness of leaving loved ones behind was heavy. Therefore, when I heard that he would be continuing his studies in Sheffield (UK) I was so excited to visit when him and his family when they arrived.

What a privilege it was to be invited to the Chisholm home! Seeing him and his family doing life up close and personal, watching him in action as a pastor/leader/family-man was an investment into my future self as a wife and a mother. I needed the visual to compliment the theology of marriage and parenting. What an exemplary example! What a ministry! He represented our Lord and Saviour very well! Such an ambassador for Christ!

Where I have arrived in my thinking:

Gleaning From The Book of Esther my big takeaway is this:

“God sets the lonely in families…”

To be part of the church is to be part of a large family. It is in these settings where ‘the fatherless’ like me, learn how to live out our faith on a daily basis so that we can be effective in our leadership at home. Thirteen years after witnessing my pastor and his family in action, I said ‘Yes!’ to the proposal of marriage. I then helped to create a family and found it is a small church.

How amazing is our heavenly Father. He takes care of His children. As I write this article my husband and I have been on this journey for 25 years and I now know that it was all working together for my good and for His glory. He has been my Jehovah Jireh (providing for my every need) on this journey of searching for the missing pieces of the puzzle.

My earthly father may not have been there for me, but God provided for my every need each step of the way. He heard my cry and answered me. He has been my help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1) when all I could hear was, ‘Be still!’ (Psalm 46:10). He has provided comfort in my times of sorrow. He has sent people into my life who have been His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20), showing love and allowing me to experience God’s goodness in the land of the living. Being exposed to the Chisholm’s way of expressing their faith through their marriage and parenting ministry, I now have a point of reference.

“The covenant between Jesus and the church is the model for the covenant between husband and wife. A covenant grounded in love and sacrifice. …The purpose of marriage is unity and family.” Kris Langham, The Marriage Talks, Through The Word).  

Like Kris, I also came from brokenness. We all do in some sense of the phrase. However, based on the journey I’ve been on in finding my earthly father, I embrace Kris’s statement that God can handle it all. Nevertheless, we do need to keep learning His principles (commands) for our lives, so that we can gain wisdom.

When we give our lives to Christ, we are called to life-long learning. This is why Matthew 28 did not stop at verse 19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” it continued to verse 20, “…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Let’s go learn and teach!

It’s a call to servant-leadership.

Continues in The Marriage Conversation.

>>>My Redemption Story Parts 1-3 Below:

Gleaning From The Book Of Esther: My Redemption Story 

My Redemption Story: A Picture of Perfection 

My Redemption Story: Never Too Young To Serve The Lord