Confidence in Christ
How God used a shy woman
to bring people to Christ.
Marysia was transformed by her relationship with Jesus: “when we come to Jesus he changes us from the inside out”.
Born and raised in England, Marysia Nicholson took the brave step of migrating to Australia by herself in 1970. Marysia described herself as ‘crippled with shyness’, and while she had a deep desire in her heart to get to know others, she was prevented due to her shy nature.
Newly arrived in Australia and desperately shy, Marysia began her life in Sydney. She found a new job and at that new job, a new friend - Barbara. Barbara shared the good news about Jesus with Marysia, who gave her life to Christ because of the witness of her friend. They are still in touch 53 years later.
Marysia speaks of the way the God transformed her life, particularly in overcoming shyness. As the holy spirit filled her with confidence, Marysia found herself serving in ministry areas she never thought possible, such as singing in her church music team, and leading a women’s bible study.
As the holy spirit filled her with confidence, Marysia found herself serving in ministry areas she never thought possible…
Now, in her senior years, Marysia lives in an apartment building developed by Anglicare to include affordable apartments for women over fifty-five. With her God-given confidence, she and a fellow resident began to sit in the foyer at 4pm every afternoon, greeting other women as they passed by, hoping they would all get to know one another.
Through their persistent friendliness, a community group developed. As it grew, they moved outside and Marysia and her friend began to see friendships bloom over the telling of stories and the drinking of tea, as the two of them showed the love of God by their words and actions. Those who came turned out to be a beautiful, rich, and diverse community of women from many cultures, who would teach one another as they shared their stories.
When asked ‘what gives you the confidence to do this?’, Marysia replied:
“God’s amazing love for me. He first loved me, and I want other people to experience the difference that God can make in their lives too. We have a wonderful story of hope and new life, that is ours when we put our faith and trust in Jesus. This is what God wants me to do.”
“I think of Jesus and his example of what love looks like… these people need to know that we will not abandon them but will continue to support them going forward in their lives”.
Marysia decided to hone her skills in building community and caring for others by enrolling to study at Mary Andrews College. She says that the Pastoral Care course really helped her to learn how to support people going through tough times, she says: “we were taught how to open up the conversation, without telling the person what to do”. She goes on to say, “I think of Jesus and his example of what love looks like… these people need to know that we will not abandon them but will continue to support them going forward in their lives”.
Further elaborating on how Mary Andrews College equipped her, she says: “I have always loved people and want them to experience the love and freedom we have in Christ. The valuable examples given in this course on how to best love others are such an influence on me, giving me the confidence I need to speak to others and help them feel valued and loved”.
After her study at Mary Andrews College, Marysia was approached by Anglicare, and was asked if she would be interested in participating in a bible study. Marysia joined this bible study consisting of six women, three of them not yet followers of Jesus. Through this ministry, two of those three women gave their lives to Jesus and joined a local church.
Marysia has no plans to stop ministering to women. She is still an active member of her Anglicare bible study where she has witnessed women coming to Christ later in life. Marysia is faithful in her discipleship of these women, staying connected with them, and partnering with them as they join their first local church. She writes: “We go forward in His name, confident that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion. Our hearts’ desire is for all 110 ladies to see and experience the wonderful love of Our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. To know Him personally”.