In 2024 I had the privilege of sitting down with an extraordinary man named Norman Gresty. At 86 years young, Norman is a testament to the truth that our earthly circumstances—no matter how dire—do not have the final say over our lives. After reading his candid memoir, ‘Clever In My Own Words’, I was invited into his home to hear his testimony firsthand.
His journey is one of profound trial, but even more profound resilience.Norman grew up in a house that had been condemned 30 years before his family even moved in. He lived without electricity, heating, or hot water, and many days, there was simply no food on the table. During the hardships of World War II, he watched his mother—and many others—kiss their husbands goodbye, knowing many would never return. The struggle became so great that his mother had to make the heartbreaking decision to place him in a Barnardo’s home in Wales, simply because she could not afford to feed him and his siblings. When his father finally returned from the war eighteen months later, Norman had been away so long he had forgotten his own mother’s face. Yet, as Norman shared these memories with me, there wasn’t a shred of complaint, bitterness, or self-pity. Instead, I saw a man who is “cheerful, positive, and inspiring”—a man who, despite having no formal education, used his “pair of hands” and a heart full of motivation to provide for his parents and his family until they were all established.
Norman’s life reminds me of the exhortation in Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”
He didn’t wait for “perfect” conditions to be a person of honour and decency. He took the “condemned” parts of his life and, through hard work and a steadfast spirit, allowed something beautiful to be built in their place. In a world that often encourages us to complain, Norman’s life is a living parable of contentment and strength.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
Norman’s childhood was defined by “not enough”—not enough food, not enough heat, not enough stability. Yet, he emerged as a man of abundance. Sometimes, God uses our seasons of “lack” to build a character that wealth could never produce.
Is there an area of your life where you feel “condemned” or lacking today? How might God be calling you to use your “willing pair of hands” to serve Him right where you are?
“In these challenging times, I feel deeply privileged to stand beside someone as inspiring as Norman and truly lucky to call him a friend.”
