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Monday, September 5, 2005

A KID, A COP & THE GODFATHER...

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

STOCKPORT, UNITED KINGDOM (ANS) -- For Neil and Jane Wain, June 15, 2005 was a sad day of mourning. It should have been the day they celebrated the first birthday of their twin daughters.

Medical difficulties occurred during the pregnancy and both of the children died.

The news that any hopes of having more children were reduced, and if Jane were to conceive again it would put her life and the life of the child in danger, tested the couple's faith.

Even though it was a time of testing for them, God was about to turn their mourning into dancing.

Jane Wain told ANS what happened. "During the church service that morning we as a congregation read out Psalm 139 together. As I saw the words of verse 14 on the overhead projector I knew in my heart that God had heard my prayers, I was pregnant again."

The consultants were right to warn Neil and Jane about the danger to both mother and child. It was so real that Jane had to be hospitalized for nearly nine weeks, adding more pressure on the Wain family.

Neil Wain felt the stress of looking after the couple's three daughters, Hannah, Jessica, and Esther, while trying to juggle his work as Chief Superintendent of the Greater Manchester police force. (Pictured Superintendent Neil Wain).

Being surrounded and supported by the love and prayers of their family and friends is what Neil says brought the family through this troubling time. "The immense prayer and practical support of God’s people across the country was wonderful," he said.

With Jane in the hospital as Christmas approached, all thoughts and plans of celebrating for the Wain family weren't really considered realistic.

On the Morning of December 21, consultants realized something was seriously wrong with the baby. The situation became "critical" when they discovered Jane's womb bleeding heavily.

Doctors decided that only a Caesarean operation could save the life of the unborn child. The Lord was about to bless them in a very special way -- He gave them a son. (Pictured: Baby Samuel in intensive care unit).

It was a real case of Daddy's Delight as he phoned family and friends to share the good news.

One of the first people Neil telephoned was Patrick Reilly, journalist, broadcaster and media missionary who had prayed for the couple and their children. (Pictured: Patrick (l.), baby Samuel and Neil Wain).

Reilly said: "When Neil phoned me that morning and told me he had a son, I told him 'I know.' He was really shocked when I said that, thinking someone else had told me. I then explained to him that there came a point in my prayers for them that I knew I was praying for a baby boy!"

On Boxing Day (December 26, 2004), Reilly and his wife Sarah traveled the 80 miles to visit Jane in the hospital.

"Being a premature baby, Samuel was in intensive care and, believing I had a cold coming, I thought it best not to see him," Reilly explained.

The Reillys had a joyful surprise when on entering Jane's hospital room they found Mum, Dad and baby Samuel sitting there looking at him with love.

Reilly remembers: "It was such a wonderful sight to seem them together and to experience the love and the joy, it was like looking at the Nativity scene in real life." It was during this visit that Neil and Jane asked Patrick to be a godfather to Samuel.

First and foremost, it was their faith in Jesus Christ that brought Neil and Patrick together. They met in the ruins of Ground Zero following the atrocities of 9/11. In the summer of 2001 Neil, along with his wife and children, flew to New York where Neil would spend six months teaching at the J John College of criminal justice.

Within hours of the Twin Towers destruction Neil, who is chairman of the Christian Police Association, found himself ministering alongside Christian members of the NYPD to the grief stricken survivors and relatives of the missing, listening to them, weeping with them, and praying with them.

At Ground Zero, Neil had the opportunity to meet an officer from his own police force who was looking for his lifelong best friend, who sadly was among those who perished. Neil led his younger colleague to faith in Jesus Christ.

Reilly describes his meeting Neil as "a divine appointment."

Reilly says that his friendship with Neil should never have happened as Reilly came to faith in Jesus Christ while in prison 21 years ago. (Pictured Patrick Riley).

A turbulent and troubled teenager, Reilly found himself on the wrong side of the law more often than not, and served two custodial sentences during his time of crime.

It was while he was being held in a young offender's institute that Reilly says that he began to think about God, heaven and hell, and his sinfulness.

"I came to Christ through the witness and testimony of evangelist Fred Lemon," Reilly said. Lemon himself found Christ while serving a five-year prison sentence in Dartmoor Prison.

"I was 22 and my life was a miserable mess, even my family had disowned me. When I saw how bad my life really was, I prayed a most feeble prayer of repentance and asked Jesus to come into my life and make me the person he wanted me to be….and he did!" Reilly said.

Following his conversion and release from prison, Reilly found he had no longer had problems with police officers and would later go on to be employed by his local police force helping young offenders.

Reilly's faith was to be severely tested 11 years ago when his father died after having been held in a police cell. Reilly senior was arrested for being drunk and disorderly when in reality he was suffering with two brain hemorrhages and a fractured skull.

"What made me angry at the time," Patrick says, "is how the police tried to cover up their mistakes by lying."

Two inquests into his father's death revealed some shocking details of how the police handled him.

"At the time God was really challenging me about forgiving the officers, and He gave me His grace to do it," Reilly said.

Speaking of Neil Wain, Reilly said he met him four years ago, "but it’s like I have loved him all my life, we are brothers in Christ. The Wains are a blessing to me and my family, and I truly thank God for them." (Pictured Young Samuel).

On his thoughts of being Samuel's godfather, Reilly said he was humbled and honored by being asked.

"I will teach young Samuel about our Father God who created the Heavens and the Earth. I will teach him of the love that God has lavished upon us through Jesus. Christ, that He is faithful to His word and fulfils all His precious promises. The Lord is gracious and compassionate and will never leave us or forsake us."

The newly-appointed godfather said, “Like the Godfathers of Hollywood, I needed a name to teach Samuel to take me seriously and give me the due respect a godfather demands…So for Samuel, and Samuel only, I am 'Paddydaddy.'

"With a name like that we're bound to have lots of laughs."
** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Garden Grove, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.
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