 |
|||||||
|
Stories of hope: Richard Nicol
We all have our story of hope, which inspires us in our work with the community. Richard Nicol one of the Executive committee members of Bringing Hope shares his journey.
It wasn’t until I lost a close friend that I really gave death a thought – that death lead to me picking up the bible for the first time in 25 years. For the first time I came see who Jesus Christ really was and that has changed my life. Although materially I had no needs, spiritually I was running on empty and coming to know Jesus personally this has all changed and radically changed my life.
In 2003 I drove past the scene of the shooting which claimed Charlene and Letisha’s lives on the morning that it happened as the police were still putting up the tape around the area, it’s near where my business is based. I am therefore part of the community but I just don’t happen to look like a typical local resident. I cried out to God because I didn’t want to just pass by on the other side of the street so to speak “How can I help?” “ Help me understand why there is such conflict over territory” “How can I be involved in changing things?”
Let me tell you He took very little time in showing me – one by one He brought people across my path who could shed light on the answers to those questions, he gave me the opportunity to build relationships with them so that first I could develop my understanding and then demonstrate my commitment was real, at a practical level as well as spiritual and out of this has come mutual trust and sense of unity I have seldom experienced in any other setting.
God has touched and changed the hearts of a number of serious people from across the spectrum of the community in such a profound way that this gives me hope, that together, with Jesus leading the way, we can bring hope to our community, our city and our nation.
