Personal Stories: Ollie Head's story

I’ve Always Been A Believer, But Only Recently Have Come To Know God

I’ve Always Been A Believer, But Only Recently Have Come To Know God

I never seemed to fit in at school, because most of the people wanted to hang around in groups, smoking, vandalizing and causing trouble. I was not prepared to behave like this in order to fit in and was ostracised quite often.

It was in my last year of high school that it was worse. I was struggling to cope with all the work I had to do and nobody from school seemed to care – the staff virtually laughed at me. I started going downhill from there.

I was starting college after I left school, but it reminded me too much so I gave it up and decided to work instead. I passed my driving test and got a job at a car garage. I was conned into what I thought was an apprenticeship – all I ended up doing was scrubbing the toilet floors and painting and cleaning.

When I complained they promptly fired me. I didn’t have a job and wasn’t at college and didn’t really have any friends to socialise with. The friends from school I lost touch with. I then had a breakdown and severe depression and thought I had nothing to live for.

I was going to church at the time (Offington Park) with my mum and dad. The people were friendly, but I didn’t feel it was for me and I slowly lost interest and stopped going. I prayed every day for help and slowly, I started to get better.

I decided to go to college and got on an engineering course the following September. It was a struggle, but I managed to go and made a couple of friends. I still wasn’t attending church as I was angry with what had happened and it seemed like god didn’t care, but I knew he could help me.

I still continued to pray. It was then that Rob and Pam Blann told me about New Life. They explained all about it and I thought I’d give it a go. I hadn’t realised that there were people around my own age that are kind and that care and had the same values as me until I started going to Ignite (for youngsters).

I was a bit quiet and a bit scared at first, but I made a lot of good friends. I kept going to the services and kept praying to god. I went to a few services and asked god to connect with me. Then one day, in a service while singing I felt god’s presence – I was tingling all over and felt a massive warmth – I felt loved.

At that point, I knew god was there for me and I could rely on him. Each day got slowly better and I developed a relationship with god. Then, almost suddenly I felt much better and a weight was lifted from me. I was happy again. I had friends, a good college course, loving family and I was healed – god saved me.

I completed my college course last year and started a new one in IT this year. I am now the happiest I have ever been in my life. The only thing that saw me through was my faith that god was here and he could help and he did and I want to give the rest of my life to him. I will praise him each and every day and want to stay with him forever. 

Ollie Head

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