Testimony - Ronnie Waters

Every week is different in my job. I drive single decker busses in Liverpool, which means I’m quite close to the public. This week I’m on earlies, which I enjoy as I can give tracts to the students. After 9.30 the twirlies* come out so I don’t get the same opportunities. 

I know God gives me opportunities to witness because passengers say things which prompt me to talk about the Lord. There was a lady who asked if I went to the Passport Office. I gave her a tract* and told her it was a passport to Heaven. Another lady asked if I was going to Paradise Street, so there was another opportunity to tell her about Jesus and that she could go to Paradise. 

Last January a lady let two buses go past and got on my bus. She started to cry and told me she was suicidal. I quickly said a little prayer. I had some tracts and the one in my hand had on it, Hope, about putting your hope in Jesus (He’s the only one you can put your hope in, after all). I gave it to her and said “Would you like to sit down and read this?” When she got up she had stopped crying and said, "Thanks very much, you’ve been a great help." I didn’t see her again, she just disappeared into the night, but the Lord knows exactly where she is. 

We moved to Maghull (a small town between Liverpool & Southport) in 1969. In 1981 I was sitting having a couple of pints in the Everest with a few mates. I felt lonely, wondering what life was all about. I felt like that for weeks and then met an old friend who told me he had eternal life because Jesus had died for him. I couldn’t get over Tommy looking so happy. I knew God had been talking to me for weeks and I realised I needed Jesus in my life. A week later I committed my life to Him. 

I told my colleagues in work what had happened. At the time I ran a bowls team and the other 
drivers used to call me the ‘Holy Roller’. The year Billy Graham came to Liverpool (1984) I gave out leaflets. I realised I could speak to hundreds of people on my bus so started to give out tracts. I carry an average of 250 people daily (mainly twirlies). The twirlies are often funny. They often get on one stop away from the New Strand, and ask "Do you pass the New Strand?" Some ask "Does this bus go to Speke?(an area of Liverpool)" I reply, "I’ve been driving this bus all morning and haven’t heard it speak yet." 

One of our inspectors won’t get on my bus because I always give him tracts or witness to him. He acts as though he is a cut above and doesn’t like it when I tell him he is a sinner just as I am. I usually give out tracts as people get on or off the bus. If somebody questioned me about the Bible I couldn’t explain it, I could only share my simple faith. Some people throw the tract back at me, saying “I’m not religious.” I tell them I’m not religious myself, but I know Jesus died for me. 

A Spanish student got on who didn’t speak English. I gave him a tract anyway. He sat down and looked at it. When he got up he showed me his dictionary - a Spanish/English one. He said “Good word”. I didn’t understand and he said it again. I finally realised he was pointing to the word ‘Calvary’ (the tract was produced by Calvary Fellowship). He put the tract in his dictionary and got off the bus. Another time a lady gave me too much money and I didn’t have change. I apologised and said “Can I give you this instead, it’s worth a lot more”. She started to read it and said, "I know it is". 

I try to be a good witness, but pressures of the job sometimes cause problems. There are places a dozen buses stop and you can’t tell if the people in the queue want your bus. When I fly past a busy stop when I am late I always think I shouldn’t have done that, there may have been people who wanted to get on my bus. 

We all have pressures in our jobs and there are many times we find it hard to witness for the Lord. I know He understands because it can be hard being a Christian but the times that you are able to witness for Him gives you a thrill, especially when people respond to you. He promises that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Praise His name. 

*Twirlies - OAP’s (pensioners) who try to use their free passes before the official starting time, asking "I’m not too early, am I?" 

*Tract - A leaflet about Christianity 

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