Tom McDonald: “God had a better plan for my life.",,,
A man abused by his parents was forced to drink whisky and smoke cigarettes – by the age of five!
Tom McDonald was trapped in a nightmare until he was invited to church. His visit set him on a path to freedom and healing.
Tom’s rescue came after years of horror at his home in Northern Ireland. He said: “My parents were alcoholics and abused me physically and sexually. They made me drink and smoke with them and I’d often miss school because I was sick with the drink.
“They said if people found out what they were doing, bad people would do worse, so I never told anyone.”
As the abuse began to escalate, Tom became a teenager. It was then that his neighbour invited him to church, where Tom heard about Jesus for the first time.
He remembered: “The preacher talked about John 14:6, which says Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. I went home and couldn’t sleep.
“I kept hearing a voice saying, ‘I’ve got so much more for you than the life you’re living now.’
“I didn’t know how to pray, so I got out of bed, knelt down and said, ‘Lord, if this is you, come into my heart and take me away from this.’”
COURAGE
Filled with a new courage, Tom wrote a letter to his school youth worker the next morning revealing the shocking truth about his home life.
That same day, he was taken into care.
Life was then transformed for the traumatised teenager. He moved to a new home, found a church and by 16 had his first job and flat.
By 21, Tom was a professional rugby player and thought he had put his past behind him. He was wrong.
“One day I collapsed on the pitch and was rushed to hospital,” he said.
“They discovered I had a heart defect, a damaged liver and lung problems because of the abuse.”
But God had more plans for Tom, and used his month-long hospital stay to reveal them.
Reading his Bible, Tom came across Timothy 4:5, which says: “Work at telling others the good news and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”
In separate visits, a pastor and a nurse shared the same verse with him. Tom decided to obey God’s call to share his faith, but back home, he returned to work instead. God hadn’t forgotten his plans for Tom, though.
Tom said: “One night at church the preacher was talking about how God shows us what he wants us to do with our lives.
SURRENDER
“He said, ‘Someone still has to fully surrender to God’s will’. I realised it was me, so that night I chose to obey.”
From here, things moved fast. Active Evangelism – a group of ministers and evangelists – was born. Tom also got involved in gospel missions and door-to-door sharing of his faith – something he continues to do today.
During this time, he met his wife Alison and moved to Chester, where the couple had their son, Jacob.
“God definitely did have a better plan for my life,” added Tom.
“I’m thankful for what he’s done and I most likely wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for him intervening.
“As I’ve worked, I’ve seen people’s lives transformed, people come off drugs, get help and find faith. God has been good.”
