Friday, July 13, 2007

"GOD THINGS"


Yesterday , Julie (sweet Inspirations) shared one of her "GOD THINGS" a testimony that reminds her of what God has done and also "builds" up the Church - here is one from Heb 11:1 , "Lil pilgrim pal" and thanks for sharing this !

I ws born with a "birthmark" as it was called, which was a bump that gradually grew when I hit adolescence. As it did, it affected a lot of my everyday activity. Without going into detail, because I was known by that birthmark, I will just leave it general. At any rate, I went to several specialists who also gave me their advice. I learned the most about it from a specailist I saw when I was 12, but it didn't bother me, so I didn't want it removed for cosmetic reasons. When it did bother me, I was 18. It was affecting me too much, so I wound up finding the "best in the world" on the subject, as I was told by the surgeon who referred him to me. I went into the hospital not knowing what to expect, because it was my first operation since I was a baby(a small birth defect, that time). I was horrified when I was told I had to completely undress and get into a hospital robe-like piece, because it meant I couldn't bring my scripture cards with me into the operating room and give them out to the people there! After spending the morning waiting to be called, they finally took me from my mom, and brought me upstairs. I was left all alone in a hallway, and told someone would come for me when they were ready. All of a sudden, I felt the presence of my Savior. Jesus was right thereat my side, and I began talking aloud with Him. I told Him what a wonderful feeling it was to know He would be with me. I said the Devil can't scare me now, because my Lord is beside me. And if anything goes wrong in the operation, what do I have to worry about anyway? I'm already in the hospital; not like if I get hit by a car while crossing the street and have to be taken there! :) At this I started laughing softly. So we talked together for a while, and then I heard someone coming. A nurse passed and prayed for her., And another and I prayed for him. Silently, of course, but as soon as they were out of sight, I talked aloud with God. Well, one doctor walked by my 3 times. I don't know what wa wrong with him, because I prayed for him every time, but I guess he must have NEEDED all that prayer. And after the third time I burst out laughing. I wonder what everyone n earshot thought of someone laughing in such a sober setting! But is was so funny!Then God sent me someone to talk to (in respnse to a prayer I had), and I told her "God bless you!" when she left. Friends, remember that the Devil does not like us to be so happy all the time! He was real mad with me! She walked around telling everyone taht I said that to her, and by the time they brought me in the room, everyone knew that. Up till then I'd been joking with everyone, and helpign to keep them light. They loved it. Now I had to be poked for the needle to be put in me. I ws going under general anesthesia. First the man started at my wrist. No, I said, I always hae blookd taken closer to my elbow, and it's always easy. Well, after trying both wrists, he thought he'd listen to me. No, it didn't work now! The second to the last try, with all these holes in my arms, I gave a faint scream. It was too much. He was very rough, and I felt a spritual battle. I will not write what he looked like, but let's just say they are not friends with the Chrsitian faith, and the religious of their type seek to kill Christians. I cried out to God in my heart to help , and he sent the anesthesiolgist to tell me to squeeze his hand if I felt any pain. The last jab was not so bad, but then I was told there was only one more option. My neck. I said, "God, you have me here, and You are here, too. Please guide their hands." It worked, of course, and I was out in no time. I was aware a little of their presence while I was under, and awoke in the recovery room, which was understaffed. I was asked if I had any pain. In truth, I felt a little. On ascale of 1 to 10, it was 3. But I said, No. In 10 minutes (i think,there weren't any clocks) the pain COMPLETELY PASSED, and I was trhough with pain. I was taken downstairs whereI recovered for a bit with my mom, and then let go. I passed out two scripture cards when I got my clothes on, to the kind nurses at the Montreal General. I was "o of it" for the next few days, but due in part to the many prayers of friends and family, I never had any pain. I tookone pain killer that evening, "just in case" at the advice of my aunt who's a nurse, and never took another pill. I had adjusted my supplements accordingly before and after surgery, but I know God is the ultimate healer, and because of Him I had no pain. Oh, it took me over a year to fully heal from that plastic surgery, but they did very delicate work.So, there's my story on God's goodness. Now let me heed Mr. Fisher's advice, and do something productive. We've got guests coming Sunday (unsaved please pray), and I've got to do my part to clean up this mess!Lil Pilgrim Pal

7 comments:

passing-thru said...

I love this part here where U said

"All of a sudden, I felt the presence of my Savior. Jesus was right there at my side, and I began talking aloud with Him. I told Him what a wonderful feeling it was to know He would be with me."

That is PRICELESS -- thx for sharing Heb 11:1

Terry said...

You know what lil Pilgrim.
When I read your letter to Passing-thru I thought about it all day and it made me think of when I was younger and had such a zeal for giving out tracts[this was long before those nice little scripture cards were invented]
Anyways I wish I had the same courage today.
I remember ten years back when a friend was in the hospital, that I was talking to an elderly man that was a patient.
He told me, "I am an atheist!"
I never gave him a tract.
I met him two years later. He was now a patient in the nursing home part of the hospital.
At that time, the young people in the Gospel Hall were making John 3:16 texts that were quite nice. I asked one little boy if I could take one to give to Mr. Fretz, the atheist.
When I went to the nursing home the next day, part of me was hoping that I didn't run into him {cowardly or what Hebrews 11:1!?]
No such "luck"...there he was in his wheel chair and there I was standing with plaque in hand.

"Uh...Mr. Fretz...one of the little Sunday School boys made this and I want to give it to you. Would you take it?"
"What is it?"
"Uh , it is a verse from the Bible!"
"Didn't I TELL you I was an atheist?"
"Yes"
"Oh well...READ IT TO ME!"
Which I did Little Pilgrim with, I might add a shaky voice and knees just a hitting each other!
"For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not persih but have everlasting life"...John 3:16..
To my amazement he took the plaque and said "Thank you" as he wheeled away..
He was over 90. I wonder if I will ever see him in heaven little pilgrim?
..that Mr. Fretz, the "athesit" lawyer..

Great post..

You are an encourager!....Love Mrs. Shirkie

passing-thru said...

Good comment Terry -- yes on Heb , a blessing for sure -- Terry , once I was visiting a nursing home, prayed and sang hymns with an old saintly woman, who was very close to homcomming - well as I was leaving the home , I passed by a room with a "scowling" looking old man and I asked if he had any visitors, he grufly said NO - I said may I pray with him, he growled, I have my own minister and my own church - but I went in anyway and kindly shared the weather outside, he said , so U wanted to pray with me , right ? - I said , yes sir , and prayed God's blessing right down into his soul -- prayed the sinners prayer - prayed how God loved him and when thru, this "bear" was shaking my hand and saying COME BACK ANYTIME - lol -- it's fun being a Christian - this was in 1972 or 73 -- in New Hampshire

Anonymous said...

Passing-thru-- That was the best time in my life, I think! I was basking in the Lord's presence like a butterfly in the sunshine, drinking it all in and loving every moment. He was so real to me, I felt like I could reach out and touch his cloak. The most interesting thing was to me the time in my lfe that this happened. The Lord had just asked me to do something I never dreamed of in telling someone about the Lord in such a different way, and less than a month after my surgery He even worked a miracle in my behalf. Mr. Fisher knows the story, you can ask him to tell you it.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Mrs. Shirkie, I love that story! There was this atheist radio broadcaster is Montreal who died 5 years ago yesterday, (I remember it like it was yeserday) and I remember God telling me a month before he died, when they said he was sick, to pray for him. I might never know the effect of my prayers, but I prayed hard for him during his last month and a half of life. Then there was one a few months later who was "sick and God told me he'd die, so I prayed for him, and he died 2 days later. I really believe he came to know God.

My mom always says when it comes to tracts you've GOT TO PRAY first. She's right: I was confronted twice at the local supermarket for "dropping" cards around the store. Bu c'mon, it was worth it: 2 stockers thought it such great fun they literally made a game out of collecting them, to see who got the most! The most encouraging moment was one Sat. morn. when my brother and I had dropped ever so many, including three right under the stocker's nose. I mean, he'd walk away for a moment, and we'd slip one in a box he'd been unpacking, etc. As we're snding in line at the cash, I hear David say, "Look, George! I found another one!" "Cool! What does it say?" "If any man is in Christ he is a new creation: the old is gone, the new is come." "Cool. I wonder who's dropping them!" At which point my brother jabbed my wih his finger and whispered in my ear, "Not a noise! Don't look, don't smile, nothing!" All because of 3 guys who didn't like them, we had to stop, but if I ever need encouragement, I just peek into the room next to the meat counter. There is a card onthe counter with Jer. 29:11,12, that I left one day in the nuts bags...and someone picked it up, and stuck it there. I'll never know who, but someone I don't know appreciated it, and everyone who works there has to see and read it! Isn't God amazing?

Lil Pilgrim Pal

passing-thru said...

GOOD POSTING HEB --- and I agree like U and your mom - praying first -- for we are handling the Word of God ---
What I enjoy since finding this blog site is the "ole fashion religion" refreshing - and I "know" what U mean about how the Lord can "tell" U to pray for someone - we have a few stories as well of people before they were called home and we "knew" and ALWAYS did it work out for the Lord's glory - neat stuff this walk we walk --- EH !

Terry said...

Dear Little Pilgrim,
That was a real interesting story about the ahteist radio broadcaster who you prayed for!After about a year that I was saved and was living with my sister and two other girls in an Ottawa apartment, I used to like the superintendent so much.
He was an old man[FIFTY at least ..Ha!]. that was always so nice to us girls.
Well one day, he and his wife were in a bad car accident.
The wife died but the man lived.
He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and I remember how hard I prayed that he would be saved before he died.
The next day the Ottawa Free Press said that he had died without gaining conscience.
I was heart broken and asked God "Why?".
Hadn't I prayed for him with tears and didn't He answer prayers?
For the next few weeks I was so sad and wished somehow that I knew if Mr.Cocelle had ever got the chance to be saved.
About a monthe later, I was standing at a bus stop and was talking to a girl who worked at the Ottawa Civic Hospital and for some reason, the subject of our conversation turned to the horrible accident that had happened the month before.
My heart almost stopped when the nurse told me, "Funny thing about that accident.
They brought the man in and we knew that he would never gain conscience.
He was so critical!
But shortly before he died, he awoke!
He was conscient and he talked and he was able to think coherently!
He was asking about his wife.
I was a miracle!"
You know what Hebrews 11:1?
That was the Lord telling me that everything was well with Mr. Cocelle and that He HAD answered my many prayers and given to that dear man the chance to accept him, or no.
In that large city of Ottawa how did it come that I would be waiting for the bus with that nurse and it wasn't even NEAR the hospital!!
The Lord sure DOES care!!
And who knows but that the man that you prayed for might just have accepted the good news of salvation.
Maybe he and Mr. Cocelle are BOTH in heaven!!...

...So cute about your planting those "seeds" around that store.
I will never forget when my little sister, Gracey brought a huge pile of gospel tracts into the large Catholic church just across the street where we lived in Welland.
She left one at each seat.
Well didn't the priest catch her and he got so angry!
He made my sister pick up every last one of them and then he told her to get out and never come back again!!
Hmmm...You left a gospel card in a bag of nuts?!
Ha!!
What somebody would have found was the gospel in a nut shell!!.........Love Mrs. Shirkie