Hope 4 - Recent Testimony

A recent testimony (begun many years ago)

In l922, I was born in Pasadena, California. My mother was a concert pianist, my father a promising pugilist, a prizefighter, who in his weight division, had never been knocked down. Mother, a spirit-filled Child of God, refused the advances of any suitor who was not a Child of God, and dad soon became one. However, she also refused any who would likely become a punch-drunk ex-fighter, so he soon gave that up, to the chagrin of his promoters. When I came along, his first-born, it became apparent that I was very strong and fast, and dad entertained the notion of teaching me to fight, only to meet my noninterest, and mother's fierce opposition. At the age of four I had become extremely aware of my need for a saviour, and accepted Jesus as my Lord, and not long after decided I wanted to become either a preacher or a missionary. The passing of the next fifteen years found me accepting jobs like wood-splitting, etc. and at age eighteen I went to work for Lockheed Aircraft Company, and in 1942 went into the Army Air Corps

In l952, I became a Machinist, lifting and handling large amounts of heavy steel bars up to five inches in diameter, and continued that work until l977. I weighed l43 pounds dripping wet, and could easily lift twice my weight, and often did. I had not strayed from my Lord and Saviour, but I had not followed my calling, except for a short missionary trip to Africa. I took pride in my ability to handle heavy weights, and I think that some pride crept in, because I began having physical problems, and each one, the master bailed me out. Mom said I should have been a minister or stayed in Africa, but I reasoned that The Army slowed me down a lot and five bouts with malaria had made me leave Africa. I was full of excuses, but I also began incurring a rather serious illness.

A walnut-size brain tumor slowed me down considerably, I recovered from that completely. Disaster struck again, colon cancer and over the years a series of hospital trips for serious problems, and disaster struck again and again, and I found myself in the care of four different specialists, and a general practitioner, each one prescribing what he thought was necessary for my health I know that one was a statin drug for high cholesterol which was 396. Also, high blood pressure medication, heart-rate medication, nineteen pills a day in all; and eye-drops for glaucoma. Over the next few years, I became progressively more and more pain-ridden, it seemed that most of my Joints hurt to move them or lift anything, and muscles hurt terribly. It got to the point where I, who was as strong as men twice my size, had difficulty lifting a gallon jug of milk. I often dropped glasses and cups because of the pain. It was extremely humiliating to let my wife carry groceries, pour my coffee, help me up the stairs, etc., and I became increasingly ashamed, day by day, also becoming depressed, the pain so excruciating I resorted to prescription pain pills.

My only son flew 600 miles for my 82nd Birthday, on may 15th, 2004, stayed overnight, and from mid morning the 16th I have no recollection except what I'm told. I drove my wife and son to a daughter's house to visit with my Grandkids, and they say I began hallucinating, talking to people who weren't there, eating imaginary food, etc. My son, Jon, is a trained mental development specialist. He observed my actions, and said that they had to get me to a hospital immediately, and about twenty minutes later, at Medical Center Emergency, my blood pressure and heart rate went through the roof, and I began thrashing around like a hive of bees was crawling on me. After starting an IV, they tried to take X-rays, it took 3 men to restrain me and hold my head still, after which I'm told they tried to put me to bed and i broke the sides of he bed, and it took four men to hold me down while another strapped on restraints in the critical care unit, What was vitally important is that when my blood pressure and pulse went so fast, I was only a breath away from cardiac arrest. I was in good hands, and all that medication was wearing off (No telling how much I had taken), and the people at my church, Faith Assembly, were interceding to God in my behalf. My Christian brothers and sisters in the area were praying for me. Computer contact friends were praying for me, and my son had to fly back home to go back to work. I was not aware when he left until a couple of days later.

Needless to say, my wife and four children were all given a good scare. I acquired a doctor who went over all my medications and discarded over half of them, saying they were in direct conflict with one another. The Hand of My Lord and Saviour Jesus was behind my recovery, I Emailed my son that I appreciated his being so quick to get care for me. He told me He knew God sent him to me the day before I lost it, because He was the only one who recognized the symptoms, and had he been five minutes later, I would not be writing this testimonial. It has been two weeks now, and God has restored my strength, and I have more energy than I have had in many years.

I told my Wife, there is absolutely no question in my mind that I am the luckiest man in this whole world to have a wife and four children who are so loving, and all follow Jesus, and never in my 82 years have I ever felt such tremendous love and devotion that emanates from my friends and Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, and they are the riches gift God ever gave me.