Hi my name is Warwick Hansen, this is my testimony and answer to:
Why did JOY CROSS the Road?
I was born in Zimbabwe 1977, the eldest brother of Tracy Hansen and Neil Hansen, Son of Shirley Hansen. Our parents decided to make a move to South Africa, due to political situation, looking back a wise decision. From the little I remember due to life choices /challenges, “Father" figure became an alcoholic, and after extending grace upon grace my mom lead the brave and wise decision to divorce. My mothers unconditional love regardless of our circumstances or our bad behaviour gave us unconditional love all the way through to this day. Now I am 40 I am reflecting on my journey on becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, a Christian & lover of the Local Church.
Growing up I have very vague memories of getting invited to a Sunday School for a very brief time where bible stories were read & some simple songs were introducing God and Jesus. (Now that I am a Christian this verse became a reality: “ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6)
As a family were constantly on the move so moved to from Johannesburg to Durban, someone at Junior school personally invited me as a friend to come to youth on Friday nights, I went for the fun & friendship and heard a little more about Jesus, not a lot but just a bit not a lot sunk in I must admit.
High school kicked in and i drifted away, I looked at our families struggles I questioned where God/Jesus was while family was getting ripped apart. We were given little bibles at school and was mandatory that we keep it in our Blazer pocket, never read it ever nor did I see any family member as far as I can remember read it openly, saw it in book cases, saw crosses in peoples homes but no one explained what that meant. Towards the end of High School going to a boys only school we had a Matric dance coming up and as friends we decided that we had better get out there, meet girls and find a sexy date or we would look like losers. Someone invited me & my friends to come to youth on a Friday night.. we went and boy was that fun and we did meet a lot of girls!
As a teenager we loved music & now that we had girl friends we devised a great plan to get dropped off at youth & sneak off to a few nightclubs around the corner, great fun… we danced we discovered alcohol & soon found out where our limit was in that department… no limit! We would head back to youth & go home as we came. Youth served our purpose and when the invite to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and saviour I accepted that invitation and stepped forward, probably slightly inebriated. I remember that someone prayed over my life and commited me into Gods hand. I honestly could understand why I stepped forward & found that Christians were a peculiar fun bunch with strange ways, speaking to God directly, talking about Jesus like a friend, did speak in Christianese which I never understood... at least it wasnt cussing and swearing so overlooked that.
Young adult season was my most challenging, I had too choose a career & no idea what that really meant but having a mom that was artistic and passed on her creative flair to me was inspired to become a Graphic Designer, I enrolled in ML Sultan Technikon in Durban, We had to do a test and interview to evaluate our creativity and 400 people rocked up for the test… only 40 placement were available. I simply asked God to intervene as I felt that I wasn’t the most creative person applying and looking at my art it not a great standard at all. God heard my heart and I got accepted as my heart desired! Didnt really have a plan B career choice.
This is where it gets interesting my mom a single parent raising 3 children had my sister and me needing finances for tertiary education which was out of her reach and the quality of our future depended on it. During that period someone invited our family to an Alpha course, don’t remember much but met more peculiar Christians and boy was the food & hospitality was unbelievable! There is something about sitting at a table and having honest and constructive conversations... not always about the weather or sport!
I stand to be corrected but at the end of the course the leaders opened up an opportunity to pray for anything that each person found challenging where they were at. I believe my mom must have reached a point when she humbled herself layed down her pride said she believed & asked to pray for her (could have been an open request or a silent one in her heart… for a divine financial breakthrough. Just “so happened” the lady sitting next to her privately contacted my mom and mentioned that she was in charge of giving bursaries to parents in genuine need. We applied for the bursary… not a educational loan & I got 3 years fully payed bursary & my sister Tracy got 4 year full 100% bursary.
Thats when i realised that God had to have heard our prayer & provided 7 years of education free, I can only imagine the relief and financial burden lifted off my mom.
Am still so humbled and filled with gratitude, a real marker to look back on!
While studying I continued to party like no tomorrow still a new christian my friends started getting married but one night in a night club I heard a still small voice it says i no longer belong here, you are no longer your own I have bigger plans for you) shocked me that God would find me in a night club though he just operated within the church buildings & that his still small voice so quiet yet louder than the thumping music, nudging me gently to come back to church and He would teach me a thing or two. I ignored for a while but started feeling very uncomfortable in night clubs, very uncomfortable anf had no desire to drink ecessivly. I broke up with a longtime girl friend who i thought i would marry. She broke my heart and I had some stern words towards God asking some big questions.. Ican her your voice at times I see how you intervene but why me, where were you all my life?!!!
In my room the first time I heard the still small voice of God so clearly was in brockeness. God asked me to keep my mouth quiet, God gently suggested that He has been after me my whole life, trying to get my attention but I was too busy ignoring, talking cussing & living as I pleased... it's time for you to hear what I have to say..... I got down on my knees and sincerely asked for forgiveness and ask Him to lead and guide me and remove anything that displeased Him. Immediately in that mess I felt at peace with God and relief and JOY I experienced when I got the revelation that my sin had been forgiven and accepted His Invitation to walk alongside Jesus and committed to learning His word and applying it to my life... Still working on to this day. I would rather you read one scripture and apply it to your life than read the whole bible as head knowledge.
I headed off to the closest church which happened to be Glenwood Community Church, felt very awkward but went, not really hearing that still small voice for a while just obeying an instruction a nudge. I asked God what I am doing here? God said Listen to My Word, don’t worry about the people just listen.
Was at that point that someone personally invited me to a bible study, I found some Christians to be peculiar people, peculiar love, they showed each other, peculiar habits & peculiar songs. I accepted invite not even knowing what a bible study was or in some churches a called a cell group (in my mind a cell was like a jail lol). Thats when I really grew in my walk with God in leaps and bounds… I remember thinking these people are actually imperfect but genuinly friendly, had a lot of fun but were authentically loving and unjudgemental towards me, they welcomed me into their home so personal so hospitable.
I observed as they ended each evening praying for each other and I wasn’t comfortable at all talking to God out loud so publicly so they would pray and skip past me when, I just listened and didn’t pray openly. They encouraged us to read our bibles even if it was for 5 minutes. I didn’t see the point as I could speak to God directly and to be honest had a bible all my life and never really believed God uses His word to speak to us. I had an old bible from my gran but couldn't understand the old fashioned english and was lead buy a bible called the Message, a modern translation so I bought one! (which is a miracle in itself).
I challenged God privately in my heart to: PROVE He speaks directly to me personally,
I opened the new funky, being a designer liked the creativity it had looking bible randomly like a gambler… and the very first words I read and understood clearly was:
“Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” James 4:8-10 (Message)
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4:8-10 (NKJV).
To this day it has been a life verse and God actually gave me that revelation God never left it was me that drifted away but am welcome back anytime.
I stayed single for 4 years quite a lonely period socially as I lost many “friends” and just started hanging around more peculiar Christians & started loving going to church & bible study! It is where I have made some lifetime friendships to this day. As for the girlfriend I “lost” God introduced me to HIS choice girlfriend… we met on a blind date.
I started asking God is she the one??? (I think I was blind/double minded lol) dated for two months and attended a healing service in Kloof with Linda’s whole family, so being the new boyfriend I went along. Thousands of people coming to hear a preacher called Angus Buchan who at the time I had never heard of, Linda’s family came from a farming community who all seem to know this bloke. He looked quite peculiar, farmers clothing.
With due respect he wasn’t an amazing speaker but He asked God by faith to heal people and I witnessed so many miracles right before my eye’s. I was very skeptical but suddenly in a crowd of possibly 1000 people the preacher pointed towards me, I looked around thinking he must be mistaken and though it was the guy behind me, this guy doesn't know me personally, I am not sick & I certainly don’t have any disease or pain that I am aware of. He kept pointing at me, was no mistake He asked me to stand…. so embarrassed I just stood up bit angry as everyone started looking at me, not the kind of attention I needed infront of Linda’s family. When I stood up he asked me who the lady was that was sitting next to me to stand up too... now this is getting awkward lol.
Linda stood up.... All He said is that God is very happy with this relationship, pointed to his ring finger and asked us to be seated. Whew glad that was over, so random!?
I asked God why on planet earth did he use this preacher to humiliate me so publicly, all the people there that got healed had serious illnesses and ailments. I heard God say quietly when I was listening & stopped talking that God knows me by name, my healing and hope for a Godly wife was just as important as those who were very sick. God started giving me vivid and specific dreams, one of many during that first three months of dating was: I saw myself holding a little blond girls hand and as she looked up at me she looked at me as if I were her father. (looking back now it was strange vision at the time when she (Zoe Emma Hansen our daughter) wasn’t evan a thought she is now a living reality. I found that whisper of God profound. God approved after 3 months of dating… we dated for two years and are now happily married for over 8 years. A godly wife, a beautiful daughter and many great years ahead. We still both love to read God’s word even when we don’t always quite understand it but learning all the time.
The Church I have to mention is where I found a peculiar leadership structure, after being invited help out at youth on Friday nights I became a youth leader, then my wife & I became young adult leaders, and Church actually voted me in to become a Deacon and realised how Godly leadership works, not out of what we know as my biblical knowledge needs a lot to be desired it was who I knew… Jesus… He came to serve mankind.
To answer the question: Why did JOY CROSS the road?
I see Jesus came down from perfection and entered this world as a man with the soul purpose of Going to the CROSS in obedience to God to pay the penalty for the sin of mankind. Jesus was prepared to humble Himself give us an opportunity to experience His GREAT love and accept His personal invitation to a relationship and live out our lives in humility and gratefulness and invites us personally to walk across the road and share His love and life transforming Word.
"THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT."
2 CORINTHIANS 9:15 (KJV)
RESTORE TO ME THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION AND SUSTAIN ME WITH A WILLING SPIRIT. Psalm 51:11-12
"THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH." Nehemiah 8:10
I look forward to the next 40 Years and have made it my life mission to cross the road for others like they did for me. God has invited me on this adventure, am not a speaker will continue to listen, learn and obey.
God told me I didn't ask you to speak, I wired you to see visions & dreams that's how I talk to you... a graphic designer not by chance.... a speaker no chance. A Seer servant. Some visions take a lifetime... this is the story of this Ministry a lifetime vision.
My word can speak for itself! I will send you speakers & resources just keep your eyes on me and serve with a mouth closed. So my lips are sealed, still battle with that one but let's see what God has purposed through this ministry. He told me to name it international so I don't put a limit on what He can do with one faithful person.
This is my story...
I personally invite you to join me on a faith adventure.
Some may accept, some may decline and some may watch from the sidelines and thats ok but as for me and my household we will serve the Lord, we will not watch from the sidelines would dishonour all the people in my life that extended that amazing invite to me.
My prayer is simply thank God for using so many people to tell me about Jesus and the Truth of His Word in a patient, authentic and unjugmental way.
Not a short knock knock joke but a word of God to every person:
"Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.
Rev 3:19-20 (NIV)
