My husband says it’s about time I tell people what Jesus did to save my life. I’ll try to be brief.
1972, my father kidnapped me from Western Australia and dumped me at Fitzroy Police Station Victoria. Following day, I was in a Court room in Melbourne and was declared Victoria Ward of State and then sent to an orphanage. I’m a Forgotten Australian. I did not speak English, we barely ate, there was fighting, crying and children dying. One day, I collapsed and broke my right hip twice in the playground. I contracted rheumatoid arthritis, pain was intense. Each night, I would tell myself, I wish I was dead over and over again. Every morning I woke up alive. I was finally re-united with my mother.
1973, living in a State Housing Commission flat (Mia Mia), a man came to our neighbourhood carrying a blue, red and yellow striped bag, harmonica, coil bound book. All the children from the flats sat near his feet while I stood a number of metres away. The man played a tune, opened his book to display a picture of Jesus dying on the cross. The man pointed directly at me and said,
“God sent His Son Jesus to die for you.”
He said it three times. I did not believe the man, I could not imagine how someone could die for me. My heart started to beat, my legs started to tremble, I could not contain myself any longer and I ran home as fast as I could. I hid in my wardrobe crying out aloud.
I was thinking of all the wounds and hurts. I had suffered at the hand of my Muslim father. He dumped me; he beat me. I was in intensive care for a year with a multi-organ failure and almost died, I almost died of pneumonia and hospitalised for a year, my father beat my mother while I was in her womb and I almost died. I was hit by a train and almost died and hospitalised for a further 6 months. I was telling myself I should never have lived. I should have died. I deserve to die. I never felt love.
Why did Jesus die for me?
My mother knocked on the wardrobe. She asked me, “why are you crying?”
I said, “I’m not crying,” wiping away my tears.
I asked her “would you die for me?”
She quietly said “no.”
Her response came as a shock to me and I then said, “Jesus died for me.” It was at this point that I felt a great burden lifted. My mother asked me why I am in the wardrobe. I replied, “I’m hiding from God.” She said, “God can see you in there.” I instantly felt peace. I could see the universe that God had made and all the stars in it. It’s difficult to describe… but I felt an indescribable peace beyond measure of love and healing. I was six years of age.
I attended a Catholic school and yearned to know more about Jesus and God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I challenged Priests with verses on the bible and Jesus lead me to pray to a Heavenly Father and not depend on earthly things. The more I read His word the more I was driven from the Catholic Church. I finally left the Catholic Church to my mother’s disappointment. Instead of attending church I read His word and volunteered at nursing homes in hope to find that man carrying that red, blue and yellow striped bag to say thank you for preaching the true word of God that saved me.
In 1988, I purchased an apartment. One Sunday morning, I head towards Joondanna Nursing home – Western Australia. Directly across the road from my apartment I see Mr Archibald sitting on a bench. We had a chat and I asked him if he knew a street evangelist. He said, “there is a man called Mr Slaney who carries a bible with him preaching his head off.”
When I heard this, I got instantly excited and almost cried. I was directed to Mr Slaney’s room. I knocked on the door, a little lady answered, she said she was Mrs Slaney. I asked if her husband preached at Mia Mia state housing commission flats in the 70’s. To my surprise she said yes. I entered the room and a man said, “Is this what I looked like back then?” He had the bag strapped over his shoulder, held onto a harmonica and coil bound book. It appeared to me that he had been waiting for me. I could barely see him as my eyes became instantly flooded with tears.
I ran to him and said “YES, YES.” He stood still and starting preaching like he did all those years ago underneath that tree. He then turned to that page of Jesus dying on the cross and read John 3:16. We chatted all afternoon talking about God and His precious word.
I returned home with a feeling of walking on a cloud. Following week, I returned to visit Mr and Mrs Slaney. Mr Slaney’s bed was missing, the room was dark, Mrs Slaney lost weight. She grabbed my hand and sat me at the table. I kept asking, where is Mr Slaney, where is Mr Slaney. She told me Mr Slaney’s life story, Mr Slaney never had paid work, he was called by God into Street Evangelism and each morning he would wake up at 4am to pray for 500 people.
He travelled from suburb to suburb to preach to tens of thousands of children during his lifetime but he never witnessed a child coming to know the Lord. His ministry was with children. For many months, he had been dying of Parkinsons and he was not ready to go to heaven until God delivers one saved child as proof that his work with children was God’s will. Mr Slaney passed away peacefully that night I came to see him.
In 2000, I reunited with my biological father and forgave him. He is still a Muslim and I still have Muslim friends. I am only able to forgive because of what Jesus had done for me on that cross and the experience of God’s love I felt in that wardrobe back in 1973.
Anyone reading this, must take this Christian walk very seriously, we are living on borrowed time, there is a spiritual warfare and we must be prepared for the greatest battle to come. Be prepared saints, we are ambassadors of Christ and get yourself prepared with the armour of God. We must not heed to any man, no religion, no fortune tellers, no idols. Put your trust in Jesus and read His precious word and pray daily. When you stand before your Creator – our Heavenly Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you will stand alone before Him, you will be stripped of everything, your religion, your titles, money, worldly goods, your family, even your children won’t be beside you at Judgement day. God will ask you, did you put your faith in my Son Jesus?
Amazing and beautiful testimony! Thanks for sharing!
Praise Jesus for your life and testimony and for Mr. Slaney and his faithfulness! You have experienced so many divine healing miracles and examples of His mighty love and power. Please, I hope you too are working with children! To share your testimony and the Word, like Mr. Slaney. It sounds to me that the Lord is calling you to minister. Children can relate to our own stories and it gives them understanding and hope! I know because I am dealing with a battle now for my niece who is 12 and has been through a lot of suffering and she attends Catholic school, and I’m not speaking against it, but in her case she is not learning about the personal relationship with Jesus and how his perfect love can save her. She feels unable to relate to Christ because he is Holy and she is not. Please pray for my niece, Sam, and that the Lord will give me the right words for her. In Jesus’ name. I believe your testimony can help children to see how He works!!!!!
very encouraging, I have been motivated
I say to you what a wonderful amazing Testimony. Please pray for me and my daughter and my mother and family to do which is right. Pray please me and my daughter and my mother and love one’s to be obedient to God. Please pray for me and my daughter and my mother and my family to walk out right before the Lord in to be obedient to God and to be obedient to his laws and Commandments. I know that me and my loved ones may not always do which is right but pray to God that God will be leading me and my daughter and my mother and my family down the right direction in life. Pray that me and my daughter and my mother and my loves turn to God and turn and away from our sinful and please pray that we surrender to God me and my loved ones and my daughter and my mother and everyone I love and know. Pray that God changes our hearts and minds me and my daughter and my mother and my family and everybody I love and know. Pray that God makes me whole in mind body Spirit physically mentally and emotionally making me who he created made me to be in his image and every single one of us. Pray for me to treat people better than what I do that we treat each other and love one another encouraging ourselves and by encouraging others and by being more positive and just really getting along with one another. Pray that me and my daughter and my mother and my loved ones to be delivered and set free from all things in our lives. Pray that for Guidance and Wisdom and Revelation and Knowledge and Understanding and everything that we need to understand in this life. Pray that me and my mother and all others all people to take the walk seriously with Christ to trurly follow Christ Jesus. Pray that me and my daughter and my mother and my family will get a closer walk with God every single day about praying and reading the word of God and by meditating, studying the word of God and pray to God that you would save my daughter and my whole entire family.
I know God has a purpose for me and a purpose for each and every single one of us me and my daughter and my mother and my family I pray that God will lead and guide us in every single way. Please pray God allow the enemy to take his hands off of me and my daughter and my mother and my loved ones everybody I love and know. Also please pray for my father of my child Thomas and Miss Romelia pray God save them to and their families. Pray God teaches me and my daughter and my family and all others how to Love one another and get along one another be there for one another and care for one another and be kind to one another and to be gentle and sweet and kind and caring and thoughtful and tenderhearted towards one another and towards others. Pray that I always forgive myself and to forgive others and that we always forgive each other. Please keep me and my daughter and my mother and all of my family and everybody that I love them no please keep us up in prayer. Pray that me and my daughter and my mother and my family was in the church and please pray that me and my mother and my daughter and all of us will find a church and love oned find a church. Pray for protection around my daughter around me and my mother and my family. Please pray for me and my daughter and my mother love ones that the Lord give me and my family so much peace and happiness in our life and the love of God in lives and our hearts. Please pray that God will help me and my family to open our eyes to see and ears to hear and come to the light. Amen…
I am truly humbled by your sincere, heart-felt reply. Please… I pray… the fight has been won by our glorious friend, Jesus Christ and rest upon Him. Allow the spirit of His love abide in you and chase all anger, envy and bitter grudges depart from your soul. Allow Him who is King of all kings comfort you in trial, be your strength in the hour of weakness and help during desires of our flesh. Surrender all. Drink in the sweetness of life eternal dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. Thank you in Jesus name for reading this story that our Jesus the author of life has penned in my life. I shall see you some day.
Amazing. Its wonderful to get to hear what God is doing in your life. All the glory goes back to Him
Dear brother Fred in Christ Jesus, it is so that His people may grow ever in love towards our precious Saviour Lord Jesus Christ who art in Heaven. Psalm 37:4-5.
Hi,
My name is Josey, and I would like to share your testimony to my FB account. I want my friends to read about your amazing story.
Dear Josey a follower of our Lord Jesus, my story is not my own. God penned it for me. He is the author, the Holy Spirit is like the ink and our vessels that is our body is empty with out them. God pens the story and we are to be obedient and follow His Will. Please share this story to others that they to many be encouraged to be filled with the Holy Spirit and that one day we may see Jesus face to face together in paradise. I’ll see you later together in Glory with our true King of kings.
I’ve also started a blog in which you may like to share with others as well. I haven’t finished it though but I will write more of my journey as a Christian leading up to my testimony. Since that moment in that wardrobe my life had changed and God had always been by my side.
Amazing testimony. That touched my heart. I would like to share your testimony 🙂
Share the good new of Christ. He is risen and He will return. It is our duty as a Christian to proclaim the name of Jesus. Testimonies encourage and edify people, please feel free to share it.
Thanks for your testimony!
I agree with you saying, “testimonies encourage and edify people”. Absolutely! As I’ve already expressed that to Emory, I keep coming here again and again, to be lifted, to be encouraged, to be edified!
I also love that you said this:
Such Words Of Truth, Bless You Dear Jana.