A Story to tell………….
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Over the past couple of weeks we have heard testimonies from people of the grace and power and love of God in their lives. Each has been quite different. But each has been a very powerful story - because they have shared what is in their heart - what God has placed there by his revelation - however that may be.
Over the past few weeks we have, as a church family, shared in the experiences of Nicky's surgery and after effects and all that she has gone through in that time. A couple of weeks ago Nicky told me she would like to write out her testimony of God's grace and healing power, and when I invited her to share it personally with us today and have her mum, Theresa, interpret it for us she willingly agreed. So I invite Nicky and Theresa to come forward and share with us now.
Nicky's story…………
“On the 12th March 2010 I had a hysterectomy. After the operation, I woke up with pain in my left side. I knew something was not right and I asked the nurse about it. She said it was normal and gave me a hot water bottle and strong pills, but the pain didn’t go away.
I went home on the 15th March and my mother and I both felt that something wasn’t right. I didn’t improve and still had a lot of pain. I also had a fever, the pain got worse and the colour went out of my face. I went back to the doctor three times, but they couldn’t help me, and they didn’t send me back to hospital. The hospital said I must see the GP doctor.
On the 29th March I slept the whole day and when my husband, Riaan, came that evening to my parent’s house to pick up me and our children, I could barely walk from the pain. So my mother took me to the doctor. When the nurse and doctors saw me they said I must go to hospital immediately and called an ambulance. The paramedics gave me morphine in the ambulance, and my mother went with me to hospital. My sister Jacky went to my house to look after the children, so Riaan could come to the hospital. Riaan and my mother stayed with me for almost the whole night in ED, to wait for the doctor to come but she only came to see me in the morning. She said I didn’t look good and I went for X-rays of my chest, to find out what was wrong.
The pain continued to get worse. I was very thirsty but they wouldn’t let me drink water; only suck on ice cubes for the CT scan. At 3pm I went for the CT scan. A scan doctor said I need to drink contrast (which is colour) for 4 times, have a drip so that could get a clear picture of my whole tummy. I felt worse and had a higher fever, and then started to cough and throw up. I began having difficulty breathing, and a nurse rushed to put me on oxygen. I began to hallucinate. I had gone into septic shock and it was affecting all my organs. It was very to breathe. One of my lungs had collapsed; they said I had pneumonia and a clot in my lung. Seven doctors came in and looked after me at the same time. The cardiologist he said that my heart was beating too fast. They x-rayed my chest. My mother phoned all my family to tell them to pray, and Riaan came to the hospital. Riaan said that he did not think I would die. I prayed to the Lord “please help me to breathe and that I am not ready to go home to (heaven) and please don’t let me die”. Riaan was standing worried in the corner, he was very quiet. I told my family I would be ok. My mother continued to text everyone –family, friends and church, etc to pray for me. I was so crazy and shouted at my mother to stop texting everyone but she didn’t give up. My mother said when I spoke it was a very strange voice, like a hearing person, but she ignored it and carried on texting people to pray. I was praying a lot for my own life.
When Pastor John came I knew God was with me. I told the Lord, “I am not ready to go home. I saw the picture of my children and my husband, and I want to be able to teach my children about God’s way and keep my husband’s faith strong. I almost died because I almost gave up my breathing it was so hard. But I didn’t give up. I fought for my breathing to save my life by God’s Grace. John prayed and said that, “there is a big spiritual battle for my life. John felt I would not die but live and I agreed with him. John felt that God had plans for my life. John, my parents, Riaan and I prayed together for my life, and God looked after me. I felt calmer and was saved by God’s Grace.
I then went to Intensive Care and I was blessed because two of the nurses in ICU were good Christians and the doctors told me that I had to have another CT scan. I didn’t want to go back because I had almost died before, but they convinced me I had to, and they could put a drain to my kidney. When I was in the CT scan I was awake and saw two evil things moving on the ceiling, but I prayed and knew that God was with me, and the two evil faces went away. I was so happy to be saved by God’s Grace. The doctor said that my kidney was surrounded by poisonous fluid, because they had accidentally cut the tube between my bladder and kidney when they operated. They put in a tube to drain it. At 2pm on Thursday the 1st of April I had a 3 hour operations to fix up my bladder, kidney, etc. When I woke up I felt so much better and well. I am healed by God’s love and kindness. Thanks to many people, my family, friends, and church family who prayed for me to survive and for my health. Thanks to Pastor John who prayed for me. Thanks for my mother who didn’t gave me up easily and fought for my life. Thank you to the Lord who saved my life.
One time more I had to go back to hospital, as the pain came back a little bit, and my leg was numb. The doctor said there was some infection again, and gave me IV antibiotics.
But everybody continued to pray for me. The specialist decided to take out the stent (plastic tube) as it was probably causing more infection. I had some more x-ray and tests in hospital. After few days there, I was discharged and they felt happy that I was now well.
I am much better now and getting better every day, by the grace of God. I am praying and believing to soon be 100% fully healed. Thank you Lord Jesus so much for being with me all the time, and for saving my life. Thank you to everybody for all your prayers, also thank you Oupa and Ouma and your friends for sitting and praying for me and for letting Wayne, Daphne and all the overseas family, and church family know now I was doing and to ask for more prayers.
The impact on my life is that I am so grateful that the Lord has saved my life. I am so happy to be here. I feel so much closer to God. I know for sure that God loves me and is with me. Thank you Wayne for emailing the church family for prayer and updates. I am very blessed.”
Nicky's prayer, and belief, is that others will come to faith in God through her testimony. We pray too that that will be true.
We each have a story to tell. Stories of power that will impact the lives of others for Christ and the way Nicky's has. Our story will be quite different. None are quite the same, but each story of God's grace and love is designed by God for particular people and situations that we will meet - because it will have power, God's power, to touch the life of that particular person at that particular God ordained time.
What is it that gives our story that power? I believe it is the revelation of God's love to you personally - however that may occur. Over the past couple of Sundays people have testified to God's healing power - physically - emotionally - spiritually. That will have a great impact on your life, but what are you going to do with it? Are you just going to keep it to yourself? Or is it something that you just have to share with someone else - because it has that much effect on you?
Read 1 Pet.3:15.
What is the hope within you? Before we can authentically share our faith we must know clearly in our hearts what our hope is in Christ, and that we have something special to share with others. What gives your story in Christ - LIFE? It can't just be an intellectual knowledge. Some people can debate and speak eloquently about religion or Christianity, and with seemingly great wisdom as read heard in the passage from 1 Corinthians 2 that Kas read. Some of us are not that way at all. So how can we tell the story of God's grace in our own life that will have meaning for someone else? Paul in that passage said that the power of the message comes in another way - the power of God.
The stories that impact the lives of others are those that impacted the story teller powerfully because they did so personally - especially when it is God who touches your life. Then you have a story to tell! Because when that happens in such a powerful way for it to make an impact, it is only because of the power of God - the Holy Spirit.
So what is your story? As you think about your walk with God and the hope that you have in Christ, what is it that makes it so special and unique for you? When someone asks you about your relationship with Jesus what do you say? Is it something general and safe? Is God just someone vague - away up there somewhere? Or is it personal? What is the hope you have in Jesus? Why go to the trouble of being a Christian? There has to be something special about being a Christian to make it worthwhile. Right here and now, as we are, we are living examples of God's grace and power. Psalm 139 tells us how wonderfully made we are - by GOD! He is our creator - without him we would not even be here. It is by his grace and creative power.
We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that now. If possible write it down - this really helps to focus your thoughts. What is the hope that Jesus Christ gives you?
Sharing it out loud also confirms it in your mind and heart because it is one thing to keep it to yourself, but it really gives it life and reality when you speak it out aloud.
Please take a moment to share the hope within you with person next to you.
I wonder how many of you included the hope expressed in verses like John 3:16; Colossians 1:27; Titus 3:7?
I want to encourage you to write a 3 minute testimony. It is really hard to condense this into 3 minutes. But it does really help you to focus on the important bits - what is the real message of your testimony of God's grace and love in your life. Your testimony should include what your life was like before coming to Christ; the actual conversion experience; and the difference the Lord has made in your life since. You need to have that firmly fixed in their mind and heart as a BASIS for knowing what to share. But it is not just an exercise to learn it by rote. It is to be used as a base. Preparation is always important in whatever we do. It is no less so when sharing the gospel. Sure Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would help us to know what to say. (Matthew 10:19-20). But having the basic firmly set in our heart and mind gives the Holy Spirit something to work with - and he will prompt us to adapt it for particular people or circumstances.
You know each one of us is special to God. We are unique. And we are designed by God for a particular purpose with unique opportunities and ways of sharing the gospel. You have a powerful story to tell - your own personal experience of the Lord in your life. You need to be sure of what your faith and hope is in Christ so you can be authentic in the sharing of your story – so it has LIFE and POWER - the power of God to change lives.
I encourage you to experience the power of God in you personally. Break down that need to be in control. In our western society we have a terrible need to be in control. But we need to let that go. We need to let God have a fair go - and allow him to minister to you in special ways that are personal to you. Sometimes that may take a crisis - as for Nicky. More often than not it is just a normal everyday experience of life. Whatever it is, it becomes a story of God's grace, and power, and love. And when it does, I can assure you - you will have a story to tell that will bless others - and it will bless you too.
