Auxiliary Captain Micheline Hardy, along with her husband Rob, is appointed to Hope Acres Corps and Rehabilitation Center in Glencairn, Ontario.
“I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, in a French Canadian home, the eldest of three children. I attended Catholic school and church until my early teens. My husband and I have two sons, James and Andrew, a daughter, Amanda, a son-in-law, Sunil, and our pride and joy, our grandsons, Emmanuel and Noah.
I have learned that when we are called by God He never gives up on us. Even if we ignore his calling and walk away, He continues to prepare us and waits patiently and calls on us again. The Lord has called me three times to full time ministry and I finally surrendered my all to His will.
The Lord spoke to my heart at the age of eight and I knew the path He wanted me to take was one of full time ministry. I ignored His calling and walked away not only from His calling but from Him completely. Even though I walked away from God I never lost my faith or stopped praying but I had lost that personal relationship with Jesus, so I was not living by His will but by mine.
The second time I felt God’s calling to full time ministry was a few years ago when I was 45. He was calling me to become a Salvation Army officer and my husband Rob and I started the process but did not continue.
In the summer of 2008 we discovered that the age limit for becoming an officer had been extended. Rob asked me if I was ready to go into full time ministry and become an officer. I laughed and brushed it off because I believed that the door had closed for us to enter into full time ministry as officers but I felt an excitement in my heart, like my heart had skipped a beat. I prayed and began to realize that God was calling me for the third time but this time I was ready. God has given me a clear picture of how He has been preparing me all of my life for full time ministry. He has been waiting for me to say “Yes, I will follow”.
There are no words to describe how you feel when you answer God’s calling. I often remind myself that when William Booth was asked what his secret was for his success he answered “God has had all there was of me” . So I have finally, and will continue, to give Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour all there is of me. I will continue to remind myself to be thankful and to pray about everything. Also that God gives me the eternal peace that guards my heart and mind (Philippians 4:4-7). I am excited about my first appointment at Hope Acres and the next few years of learning ahead.”
