Margaret Watridge

Margaret Watridge

At the age of 6 my Aunt told me the story of the Great Shepherd, Jesus, Who came to save lost lambs, and gave His life to bring us into His fold. I was riveted! That night I asked Him to make me one of His lambs!

Now, 69 years later, I say with joy, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want’. The Great Shepherd became God’s sacrificial Lamb to bear my sins and give me the blessed assurance of spending eternity with Him in His Heaven! See how He has blessed me miraculously over the years:

My father had died the year before so my mother had to work to bring up 4 young children! She trusted the Lord’s promise in Ps 91 v 9 – 11 that “no plague would come nigh thy dwelling”! We never suffered the usual childhood illnesses – even when we had a sick lady lodger with diphtheria!

When I was 13 we moved to Salisbury, Rhodesia, where I was blessed to be part of a precious Fellowship and receive sound Biblical teaching. After school I studied in Durban, boarding with Mike and Molly Attlee, by which time I was engaged to Dugmore. We married in 1963 in Salisbury and transferred to Umtali three years later. In 1969 God directed Dug to decline a promotion to Bulawayo. Holidaying with the Attlees we received clear direction to emigrate and settle in Durban.

Bro Mike needed an accountant for his building company and the Lord confirmed in our hearts that we should accept his offer. God’s Miracles never ceased:

  • Within days people offered to buy our house!
  • Miraculously a Durban man legally swapped funds with us.
  • Through Bro Attlee we bought a house in Durban in a housing shortage.
  • The Lord set us in Moore Road Assembly in 1970; we were fully involved!
  • In 1972 the new Pinetown Assembly became our spiritual home. Wow!
  • In 1977 Dug was called into Full-Time Ministry in Windhoek.
  • Our house was quickly sold.
  • Our Black Labrador was settled with someone we could trust.
  • Our Golden Labrador, through a ‘mistake’ was safely flown to Windhoek, through my brother, a vet, just happening to be travelling on the same plane and personally caring for his necessary sedation!
  • In 2012 I contracted high-grade cancer! The Elders Fellowship prayed for me, anointing me with oil. After only three of the eight prescribed chemo treatments, a CT Scan and a PET Scan ordered by the bemused specialists, I was confirmed Cancer-Free!

After a blessed time in Windhoek, then Johannesburg, we returned to Durban and became happily involved in several Assemblies over many years.

I enjoy God’s Presence, provision and leading through life’s ups and downs! With all my heart I love my wonderful Lord and Shepherd!