‘Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.’ Psalms 90:10

This is the life story of George T Tilston.

George experienced his fair share of trouble and sorrow in his first threescore and ten years: two world wars, a great depression and a deep recession to name a few. On the verge of reaching his seventieth birthday he did ‘fly away’ - not off the perch exactly, but off to Perth in Western Australia - propelled by the love for his family and the promise of a new beginning.

What he discovered was a land of harsh realities: the scorching sun, the isolation of the suburbs and the woeful television programmes. It was an epic adjustment from a lifetime spent living in one of Liverpool’s tight neighbourhood communities but, as was his way, George persevered through the difficult times. He experienced the heart break of further bereavement and the mental challenges of separation, but it was one final loss that caused all hope to leave his world.

The Book of Psalms also says in chapter 34, verse 18: ‘The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ George was at his lowest point when, through the kindness of new Australian friends like Giuseppe and Darlene, he had an encounter with the living God and his life of pain and loneliness was turned around to one of purpose and legacy. He spent his final year impacting a new generation with his story of persistence and hope, proving that it’s never too late for God to use a life that is turned over to Him.