Faithprints
Faithprints are stories of faith of people looking back and seeing how God has worked in their lives. God's sovereign footprints have left a mark. Bruce Geeves spoke with Roslyn Langlois from Hobart.
What is your earliest memory?
My father was a teacher as well as an ordained minister and I was about two when I think I remember being with him at the country school where he taught... it may not be my actual memory but the result of family conversations and photos!
At about age four, I remember the visit of cousins from Sydney, there were kids everywhere! Six in our family plus...
What do you remember about school days?
My father was in the ministry so we moved around a bit - I attended Wynyard, Sheffield and Buckland Primary Schools. At Wynyard one teacher had me sing to another teacher when I was about five or six. I was glad that they liked my singing. I was always happy singing at home with my mother and sister.
Do you remember your first job?
When I was a student at Melbourne University I taught piano during term time and looked after children in my holidays - teaching piano was fine but looking after children was more of a challenge.When I came back to Tasmania I taught music at Claremont High School.
What game or activity did you enjoy as a child?
I loved dancing. Dances that whole families went to - square dancing, the barn dance, Pride of Erin. It was great fun.
What is your idea of a relaxing time?
Music... listening to, playing,singing, sharing music is a huge part of who I am, it's also part of my ‘working' life, and my total being as a Christian. And I love reading. Biographies, autobiography,novels. My favourites would be Surprised by Joy, by C.S. Lewis and By Searching, by missionary Elizabeth Kuhn. I read these first as a teenager. I love the Lord of the Rings and The God That Risks by John Sanders. I am reading this for the second time.
Is there a special place where you are reminded of God or somewhere in the house that is an oasis of thought?
There's a beautiful place at Connolly's Marsh near Dunalley, which is very special to our family. There are special places in our home too where I can enjoy quiet time, just me and the Lord.
What do you enjoy about being a Christian?
God's love
God's comfort
God's creativity
God's surprises
God's incredible knowledge of me. The tenderness and strength of his caring and leading.
Why did you become a Christian?
It was a very natural response. I could see the love of God in my parents and later I heard the message of the gospel at youth camps, and experienced the love and joy of youth leaders. Important life verses for me as a teenager were Philippians 4:6-7.
The Holy Spirit used them at a youth camp to ignite in me an excitement about prayer at the age of 14 when I was at Collegiate, where my love of Jesus was also fostered through the lives of the Sisters of the Church and others. I started what I called ‘The prayer group' there and by the time I left school our chapel was overflowing at the weekly meeting where we sang, prayed and learnt about the Christian faith through testimonies,teaching...
What advice would you give to a young Christian?
Jesus really understands us, knows us, is committed to us. We can go to him about anything and everything. He is completely trustworthy. He is ‘the same yesterday, today and forever'.
What is a significant piece of Scripture for you?
Genesis 12:1 where Abraham was told to go out of his country to ‘a land I will show you'. God used this at a time when John and I were trying to discern what God wanted us to do. It was part of our confirmation that we were to leave our position at Clarendon Childrens Home and go to Canberra to study with YWAM (Youth With a Mission).
What Christian books have you found helpful to your Christian walk?
The books of C.S. Lewis - he has a strong faith, great understanding and a depth of reason and logic. I like Catherine Marshall for the way she expresses the reality of God. Adrian Plass is very honest and has a great sense of humour. Loren Cunningham's Is That Really You, God? and writings of others in YWAM, linking understanding and action have been important to me.
What are the important priorities in life for you now?
God is Number One. Flowing from that, loving and serving his people (those who know Him and those who don't yet) by appropriate use of my gifts. Family and friends are very important to me.
If you could invite six people (living or not) to a celebratory dinner, who would they be?
J.S. Bach, C.S. Lewis, Bishop Alf Stanway, Hildegard von Bingen, John Langlois, (we'd have to add immediate family!) and Joni Eareckson.
