Pastor
Larry Gatlin, So Oregon
While working in a plywood mill in Eugene
Oregon in 1969 I experienced an industrial accident. I was pulling on the green
chain and injured my lower back. I was admitted to Sacred Heart hospital and
began a series of tests. The results showed that I had damaged my lower back at
the L-4 and L-5 levels. At that time the doctor decided that I should return to
work and try physical therapy. After several months of therapy I showed no
signs of healing.
Since my
work-mans compensation had run out in June of 1970 I moved to Klamath Falls
after my dad had made arrangements for me to work at the same lumber mill where
he worked. I worked at various jobs there until September when once again I
injured my back in the same location.
Christmas and New Years was a very
difficult time for my wife, Janice, our eldest daughter, Stacey, and myself. By
New Years day I was in such pain that the doctor who was attending was
convinced that surgery was the only way to alleviate the pain. After the
surgery I made a slight recovery. In
February our second child Teresa was born.
After a season of prayer my wife and I
decided that it was Gods - will for us to return to Eugene Oregon. We loved the
church that we had been youth directors at and felt that we should return there
and that I should go back to Eugene Bible College and finally complete my
education that I had started in October of 1966. Getting back in school proved
to be a trial.
While I was waiting for the vocational
rehab people to make a decision I experienced a relapse and started having pain
in my lower back and my right leg. Some times my right leg would even
experience partial paralysis. I was sent to a specialist and it was determined
that I needed to have the L-4 and L-5 discs in my back removed. After a time of
recovery I was able to pursue returning to Bible College. I had my surgery on
September 30, 1973. I was told that I could not lift anything over ten pounds.
On October 1 my son, Greg, was born. He weighed 11 pounds and two ounces. In
order for me to hold him I had to have my wife lay him on my chest while I laid
on my back.
It was extremely difficult convincing the
vocational rehabilitation people that Bible College was the only vocation that
I was interested in pursuing. I was subjected to various tests both physical
and psychological. They even sent me to the Vocational Rehab center in
Portland. Where I under went a wide range of tests again. Including a complete
psychological profile.
Several months passed and finally my new
counselor recommended that I be allowed to return to Eugene Bible College and
finish that three program that I had started in 1966. When October 1, 1974 came
I was all set to return to school. It was a miracle. My counselor had told me
that they never allowed any one to attend that type of school, because you are
too dependent on individuals for your support.
During my first year back I didn’t have
any problems with my back. Then in 1976 during Christmas break I experienced
pain like I had not known since the injury that I suffered while working at the
mill in Klamath Falls Oregon.
I was teaching a Sunday - School class for
boy and we were studying the work of missionaries. I thought that it would be a
good idea to build a mock village. I went to the church to build a small table
like platform. While I was in the process I had to pick up a sheet of plywood.
As I bent over to pick the plywood up I felt something give way in my back and
I was unable to stand up straight. The pain was extreme and I spent the next
week literally crawling from my bedroom to the living room. Including any other
room that I might have to visit.
My poor wife had to wait on me hand and
foot during that time. The Saturday before school was to start back Janice
decided to take the children and go grocery shopping. I can’t even imagine how
difficult that must have been for her. But she trudged off to the market and I
was left at “Home Alone”.
I have always loved college football and
so I carefully crawled into the living room and turned on the television. To
this day I can’t tell you who was playing. Little did I know that I was about
to have an extreme encounter of the God type.
My attention was drawn to my Bible laying
on the coffee table. I would never recommend that any one look for scriptures
on healing or any other subject in the Bible the way I did that winter afternoon.
As I picked it up the pages began to fall open on scriptures that dealt
directly with healing. It didn’t matter where I turned. Every page I looked at
contained promises for healing. After a period of time I began to weep. Through
my tears I remember crying out to God. “Father, you don’t want me like this do
you?” Since that day I have never experienced that type of pain. I have had
little twitches of pain. But each time they come I remind myself, God and even
the devil, that I was healed in January of 1976.
Because
of my personal healing I have made certain that I preach a complete message of Salvation,
because we are…
Ř
Saved
Ř
Healed
Ř
Delivered!
