|
As a child I believed in God, but in later life I went astray.
When I was almost eighteen I began going to Church again and was
confirmed
For many years I did not go to Church or pray very much or even
think about God, it wasn't that I didn't believe. I just didn't
do anything about it.
Then I was afflicted with arthritis.
When I was 31 I was afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis and suffered
much pain and depression. After years of trying many different
medications which didn't help, at the end of November 1968, the
rheumatologist put me into a hospital in Sydney.
I arrived at the hospital without much hope, expecting to end up
bed-ridden or at the best in a wheel chair.
That evening the doctor called to see me and talked to me about my
future treatments. He told me I would need patience as I could
possibly be in hospital for 4 to 6 months. Because, as there were
over 130 different types of R.A. it could take that long to find out
what type of R.A it was, and to find the right medication. He also
told me that I would need courage as some of the tests were painful
After the doctor left I knew I needed help and in desperation I
prayed, for the first time in many years I prayed. I really cried out
to God for patience and courage. God answers prayers.
I was in the hospital for only five weeks as the very first test that
was done showed which type of arthritis I had and the first drug they
tried worked.
I believe now that once we belong to God, even though we may wander
from the straight and narrow, He is always with us and keeps His hand
on us just waiting for us to turn back to Him. Of course I was not
completely healed but after about 3 yrs. the arthritis went into remission
I began to pray more and tried reading the Bible, I had many ups and
downs but I was trying. On 28th of December 1973, I had a fall and
broke both my legs. I cried out to God; "Why? Just when things were
beginning to go well. I don't believe God made the accident happen, but
He used it to teach me many things.
I was flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Sydney, where an orthopedic
surgeon set my bones. Bert told me later that after the doctor had set
both my legs he went home and thought about it then rang the hospital and
told them to prepare me for an operation in the morning, as he wanted to do
some prepare work on my right leg. I could possibly be on my back for nine
to twelve months and that I would probably have to wear a caliper on
my right leg.
Once again I cried out to God, and asked Him to mend my bones as quickly
as possible and to help me get through each day. Again God answered my
prayer, I was able to take each day as it came and the time did not seem
to drag. I was in hospital for only four months and I did not have to
wear a caliper.
In September 1978, some friends invited Bert and I to a Christian dinner.
Here I had an encounter with God, He spoke to my heart.
While the guest speaker was speaking, I had a burning feeling in my heart
and got warm all over. When the speaker made an altar call I wanted to go
out but couldn't get out of my chair.
It wasn't until months later, when I was reading my Bible and in the book
if Mark, the description of the men on the road to Emmaus, made me realize
what had happened to me that night. On Sunday morning, a week after my
Emmaus experience, I was alone in the house and turned on the T.V, which
I did not usually do on Sundays. There was a Christian program on and I
sat down and watched it.
Towards the end of the program the minister said; "If any of you here or
in the television audience don't know that, should you drop dead right
now and face God, that you are saved, to stand up." I had never fully
understood salvation and thought we would not know if we were saved until
we died, so I stood.
Then the minister said; "If you want to be saved, or to know that you
are, pray with me the sinners prayer." So I did. A couple of days after
I prayed, my friend invited me to go to a Bible Study/Prayer Meeting group
she belonged to the following Tuesday, so I did.
After the meeting a friend asked me to her place for lunch, but I said
no as I had some shopping to do but she persuaded me to go and have
lunch first. After lunch we were sitting and talking about the mornings
meeting and my friend said something about being born again and the Holy
Spirit. I said I was saved but didn't know anything about the Holy Spirit,
then she asked me if I would like her to pray for me and ask Jesus to baptize
me in the Holy Spirit. At that time I didn't know much about the Holy Spirit,
so I said no.
Shortly after I said good-bye and left and went and did my shopping and
headed For home. I had only gone about a mile when I heard a voice whispering
to me to go back to my friends place. I thought I was imagining things and
shook my head and continued. In a few seconds the voice spoke again and I
still thought I was imagining it and continued to drive. Then for the third
time the voice spoke again, this time I turned the car and started to drive back.
All of a sudden tears started to pour from my eyes, I said to myself this
is silly, she probably won't even be home. The voice said, "I wouldn't be
sending you back if she wasn't home."
When I pulled up in front of my friend's place she was out front talking to
a neighbor, when she saw me with the tears pouring from my eyes, she came to
me quite concerned and asked me what the matter was. When I told her nothing,
I just had to come back she understood.
Amazingly the tears stopped as soon as I got out of the car. I believe they
were cleansing tears. My friend took me inside and prayed, asking Jesus to
baptize me in the Holy Spirit. Nothing startling happened, there were no
clashes of thunder or flashes of lightning but I felt peaceful.
My friend told me then to have faith and believe that Jesus had baptized me.
Once again I said good-bye and headed home, Something amazing did happen I
sang all the way home.
The reason this was amazing; at the time the drug I was on for R.A was giving
me problems with my throat, if I talked for a while or tried to sing I lost
my voice, yet I sang all the way home. Praise God.
Some time after that my husband told me I was a different person and easier
to live with.
That afternoon, when the house was quiet I sat down and prayed and asked God
what he wanted me to do now, thinking He would have me do all sorts of great
things, self pride. The still small voice said "study and learn."
I realized then that I really knew nothing. I had not even read the Bible.
From that day I started reading the Bible avidly and with great interest and
there BEGAN my understanding. It is written "the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge," this I entirely agree with. I read every bit of
Christian literature I could get my hands on. I joined a Christian tape club
and received many tapes and listened to them. I learned a lot but most of all
I learnt how much I didn't know. I am still learning.
I have had many blessings and many answered prayers since this.
|
