Testimonies: Praises to the Lord
(praise page)
Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

(This web page consists mainly of praise reports contributed by our Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Feel free to send me your own materials to be added. PJR)
 

Testimonies and Stories (main page)

Testimonial Page: "How I Came to know Jesus"

MY TESTIMONY OF GOD'S AMAZING GRACE
by SHELIA HERSEY
 

MY TESTIMONY OF GOD'S AMAZING GRACE
          Before I begin my testimony I feel it is important to give you some 
information on my childhood, so you will be better able to understand some of 
the decisions I made in my life, however stupid they may have been.  When I 
was born my mother was only fifteen years old and now years later and after I 
went through the process of forgiveing her and working through a lot of 
things, I am now able to look at her life through her eyes to try to 
understand better how she must have felt.  This is some advice from some very 
wise council, I was told by this person that I could maybe forgive easier if 
I try to see her life through her eyes and not the eyes of a hurt child,  you 
know what it worked I can understand her more clearly now.  She was not 
mature enough to take care of herself much less a baby.  So she would send me 
here and there to whoever would be willing to take me at that particular 
time, most of the time it was my grandmother, several times throughout my 
life she would decide that she wanted me back and she would come and uproot 
me again.  I never really knew any stability in my life and I always felt as 
if no one really loved me or wanted me.  Then at the age of nine she came and 
got me and took me away from my grandmother which really at this point of my 
life was the only mother I ever know and I was very attached to her, anyway 
she took me to Illinois where she lived, by now she had remarried and she had 
two more children by this man.  He hated me and the only reason I could think 
of was basically because I was not his. Now this was not my fault although I 
blamed myself for years.  He started just physically abusing me but then it 
changed at the age of nine he raped me and he told me he would kill me if I 
ever told anyone, I was very young and scared, this went on until I was 
thirteen and I finally told my mother, she did't believe me, actually nobody 
believed me.  Finally I just let it drop and I buried all those feelings of 
anger and hate for years, that has now been dealt with and forgiven and it is 
under the precious blood of Jesus, Praise God.  I told my mother that I 
wanted to go back to Memphis to live with my grandmother and she said alright 
because I was causing her to much trouble anyway.  Now my grandmother was now 
remarried and I resented him taking my grandmother's time and I was awful to 
him.  My grandmother finally with to the courts and told them I was out of 
hand and she just coulnd not handle me any longer, so they removed me and 
placed me in a foster home, the home I went to was wonderful but at the time 
I could not see that, all I could see was that I wanted my grandmother 
nomatter the cost so I ran away.  They called my bluff and as a ward of the 
State of Tennessee I  was placed in a Catholic all girls reform school for 
three and a half years.  Now I look back and I can honestly say it was one of 
the best things that ever happened to me.  But at that time all I could see 
was that I was totally alone, unloved and unwanted in this great big world.
          Now I will jum ahead some.  In 1987 I lost my own three children to 
their father and I totally lost it.  I turned heavily to alcohol and 
eventually that turned into crack and cocaine.  By this time I had lost 
everything including my dignity as I had turned to prostitution to support my 
drug habit.  I was arrested several different times on various charges but I 
was never convicted and I never served any time and I know God was taking 
care of me even back then in my sin, He saw what I would be one day in Him. 
I Give GOD all the PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY for that.  My roaming and my drugs 
had taken me to many places but on December 20,1990 my life changed and so 
did I fromthe inside out, praise God, on this day I found myself at the 76 
Truckstop in Little Rock, Arkansas, I was hitchhiking trying to get home to 
Memphis, Tennessee where I did most of my growing up and where my 
grandparents live.  I was walking into the truckstop when I had an 
inspiration to turn and walk straight to the fuel islands, there were many 
drivers there getting fuel but I was led to one particular driver, his name 
was John, I walked over and asked him if he was going east, he said yes so I 
asked him if he could give me a drive to Memphis, it was only 124 miles and 
he agreed to help me out.  Now I had not eaten in a couple of days and he 
asked if I was hungry and he took me in to the resturant and bought me 
something to eat.  The entire time we spent together eating and driving he 
just began to share Jesus Christ with me.  He told me Christ could and would 
set me free if I was willing, He would give me a new life without all the 
pain and turmoil I was living in.  Of course being a christian does not 
eliminate us from pain, trials and tribulation but with Christ in our hearts 
He will give us the strength to wothstand even in the worst times.  I began 
to tell John about my life and he still said Christ was the answer for it 
all.  So 124 miles later even before we reached Memphis I had made a decision 
and given my heart to Christ and decided to live for Him.  I also had made 
another decision, I told John I was going to marry him, we were both single 
but he laughed and said the only way you will ever marry me is if God allows 
it, well about four months later on April 25,1991 we joined our lives 
together in matrimony in Las Vegas, Nv.  The day we met John continued to 
tell me all about God and he shared with me that God had called him to drive
a truck and to minister on the road to the lost, truckdrivers, drug addicts, 
alcoholics, prostitutes, homeless people, anyone who was down and out.  I 
continued with him in that ministry until July 2000 when God spoke to us and 
told us to come down to Lincoln, Alabame where we could help Pastor Shirley 
James in her ministry and church, we are an outreach to the lost and hurting. 
 John is from Digby, Nova Scotia and we lived up there for almost ten years 
until we moved here.  We have a music ministry as well as word ministry, I 
will travel anywhere I am asked to give my testimony and we both preach and 
teach.  God has really been good to us and it is to His glory that I am 
writing this if one soul is reached it is worth everything.  I had destroyed 
my voice by smoking and drugs and I told God if He would restore and heal my 
voice that I would sing for Him the rest of the days of my life and He has 
done exceedingly and abundantly above all that I could ask or think.  He has 
also gifted both my husband and myself with the gift of writing, we have both 
written many songs and I continue to sing them for they are God's songs I 
only held the pen.  It does not matter where you are, Christ will come to you 
and meet you if you are willing to let your life go and let Him be God of and 
in your life.
          When I first got delivered of the drugs the doctors convinced me 
that I had done massive damage to my nervous system and to my body, I am 
sharing this because some of you may be going through this and need help. 
They had me on nerve pills, pain pills and sleeping pills among others, again 
I was a walking zombie.  I just went from illegal drug addictions to 
perscription drug addictions, but since coming to Alabama I have now been 
delivered of that too Praise God it feels so wonderful to be free. This is a 
process and it may take some time for healing but it is worth every mile. 
          I have had so many miracles in my christian life as I am a walking 
miracle myself but one really stands out to me and I would like to share this 
with you.  About three or four years ago I was diagnosed as having an 
incurable bowel condition, the doctors were not even sure of what it was 
exactly but they had come to the conclusion that with ulcers all through my 
body and many in my bowel system, they said they wanted to do surgery and 
remove a fifth of my bowel.  I said no I am going to get prayer for this and 
I believe God is going to heal me.  They went ahead and scheduled me for 
another scope a few days after Christmas.  So a few days later on Christmas 
Eve I called a friend of ours over in anoter Province and  asked him to pray 
for me, he said alright but he would call me back in a few minutes, he had to 
get to a phone in private, it being Christmas Eve he had a house full of 
people.  By the time he called back I had got togeter about ten of the Bibles 
that were at our house and laid them on the floor in a circle opened and I 
placed one in the middle of the circle opened and I knelt on that one and I 
told him to pray.  When he prayed for me the fire of God hit me and went 
through me, I had such a peace come over me.  I went over to the bed and laid 
down and went to sleep ( now Adam was put into a deep sleep  in Genesis when 
God removed the rib to create woman) God did the same for me, a deep sleep 
came over me so God could perform healing surgery, I slept for seventeen
hours and John came in to check on me he wanted to make sure I was ok, 
because before this I was bleeding quite badly and he was concerned, he could 
feel such heat eminating from my body he knew it was God so he left me in the 
Lord's hands.  When I work up I knew without a doubt that I was healed and I 
just praise God again. I had been on $400 a month medication and I went in 
the kitchen and put every bit of it in the trash and I have not had any of 
those problems since that day.  Again I can't say enough it is all for the 
glory of God that I am here and my life is what it is today, for without 
Christ we are nothing but through Him we are Joint Heirs with Him.  He is our 
Deliverer, Savior, Helper, and Healer and any problem wee may have is never 
to great for Him to help us, we just have to take it to Him and get rid of 
it.I thank God for His Power is still healing, still saving and still 
delivering, He is good all the time.  I have made my mistakes and I have even 
fell off the wagon a few times but God loves us and if we truly repent and 
confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness.  If I can help anyone out there you may contact us at 
the information below and we will do our best to help you in any way we can, 
if you have questions about loved ones who may be on drugs or have other 
addictions we will try to answer your questions and if we don't knoe the 
answer we will find someone who does.  Please always remember we are human 
and we will make mistakes but just confess to God those mistakes and get them 
under the blood as soon as possible, God still loves us and He will help us 
in all of our situations.  GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL.  I GIVE FULL 
PERMISSION TO ANYONE WHO CAN USE THIS TESTIMONY TO COPY IT AND GIVE IT OUT OR 
SHARE IT PUBLICALLY BUT PLEASE GIVE THE GLORY TO GOD, THANK-YOU LOVE AND 
PRAYERS YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER IN CHRIST.
JOHN & SHELIA HERSEY
51126 US HWY 78
LINCOLN, AL.  35096
HOME PHONE AFTER 5PM  205-763-9554
WORK PHONE 8AM TO 5PM  256-236-4711
E-MAIL ADDRESS:  CHLNGRANDRNBWMIN@AOL.COM

GOD BLESS YOU ALL KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS AS WE DO ALL OF YOU.

Home page:
United Christian Ministry
PO Box 395
Broadalbin, NY 12025
USA

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