Thursday, April 8, 2010

I Testify Of God - God Is A Healer And He Is Faithful

Beloved EROLyrics Readers, today you will read the second installment of the Testimony Series (I Testify Of God). It is about the healing of a lady who was shot by armed robbers. Disclaimer:- There are parts of the post that went into details of the incident, so if you do not have the liver for it, you can stop reading now. If you get to read it, I hope you are blessed like I am with this testimony of God's awesomeness. If you have something to share, please feel free to drop me a message at esurunma@gmail.com.

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Modupe…was born some thirty years ago…Grew up in Ibadan and had all my education there..then I got a job in Lagos after my youth service in 2004 and relocated there.

What is your testimony about?

I think its more like my testimonies, but I have singled this particular incident out because I sincerely hope that someone reading this will be touched by God’s amazing grace and be reminded that He is truly an ever present help in our time of need. I was shot by armed robbers and God miraculously kept me alive. 4 years and still counting…I have never been to the hospital for any complaint since then…He is indeed an Awesome God.

The year was 2006…a Wednesday in the month of June and it started off like any other day…Brings to the fore the fact that you never know the day your life will get transformed, I'm sure Joseph must have felt it was just another day before he got the call from pharaoh..

I finished work around 5pm and decided to visit the movies before going home….picked up a friend of mine from surulere and we drove to Victoria island to see a movie..left V/I around 8.30pm and started back home. Home then was in Satellite town with my uncle.

Drove from V/island back through Costain to drop my friend and started off home from there..

I could recall that on my way, I was listening to music and mentally arranging the rest of my week…aligning schedules with the days left etc. Then I noticed that some cars had turned back and were driving one –way…on recounting the incident later on, several listeners said if I had be a Lagos wise driver I would have got the signal and joined the train at the point.

Anyways, I didn’t, first because I wasn’t a lagos- wise girl and second because I didn’t know any alternative route home. So I continued until I realized that I couldn’t drive forward any longer because there was an ambush and armed robbers were doing their thing.

Here I was in my car watching them ransack the car just in front of me and I cant remember what was going through my mind but I was scared..and when one of the robbers came to my window at first, I refused to roll down my glass and stayed there in fear…then an unexpected thing happened, the robbers shot into the car in front of me and then I figured these weren’t just thieves..these were trigger happy people who intend to rob as well as kill..so I told myself that I needed to leave the spot…and I struggled to maneuver through the little space between my car and the one in front and make a turnaround to escape..then one of the tyres of my car veered off the tarred surface and I was convinced I could no longer make it…I stopped.

I stayed in my car and started to muttering “Jesus, please help me..please help me..”
I was praying …and I was stealing some glances at my window to check the robbers out…next thing I noticed one of them was removing something from his bag and and putting in his gun..In retrospect, I realized that it was the point when he placed a catridge bullet in his gun..

I was still saying Jesus please help me..when I heard the sound..it sounded faraway…..then I turned to look at my window and saw the robbers moving away..then it caught my eye…the flesh on my side was torn apart and I could see my pelvic bone..and blood was gushing..then it hit me..the sound wasn’t faraway..it was the sound of a gun on my car door and the bullet had pierced my skin apart…

I still don’t know where the strength to live came from..I guess its what we call” Grace”

I placed my feet on the pedal and pressed hard and my car moved…and I continued driving…driving until I saw people…and traffic..so I stopped and asked for help..and in the midst of the crowd I could help people saying "Don’t help her..she will die…see all the blood”…one man came to me and asked me to allow him to drive..Time now will be around 10pm…I moved to the other seat and he took over the wheels.

He drove straight to a police station, got the officer to come into the car and write the police report…while he was driving to the hospital…

We got to the hospital..meanwhile I had placed a call to my aunt and uncle to inform them that I had been shot..then I handed the phone to him so he could tell them where we were. The good Samaritan stayed till my uncle and aunt came and then handed over my personal effects and car keys to them.

Did I hear you say "He who watches over Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers…"?

Next day, I called the Chief Medical Adviser in my office and was transferred to another hospital where I had access to specialists.

The surgeon called was an Orthopaedic surgeon, because of the assumption that maybe my bone had been affected, then I went for xrays and the result showed that bone was brushed but not broken…but I still had to be taken to the theatre..

So I went for the surgery around 4pm the next day…Family members and friends had gathered round for the usual support..

Went in with the promise that surgery should be over in 3hrs..I later learnt that I was in for about 7hours..Midday through the surgery, they suspected that my intestines have been damaged and sent for an abdominal surgeon who insisted that I required a laparotomy, this I later discovered is a procedure whereby the surgeons cuts you open without having a clear idea of what may be wrong with you.

Well, they discovered I had multiple perforations in my small and large intestines and a colostomy procedure had to be done. Thats a procedure that requires them to put some part of my intestine on the surface so that I won't have to go to the toilet normally but will be using a bag on the surface instead..

Well, to cut a long story short, I spent three months in the hospital and had three surgeries…went through pain that cannot be described nor defined …but I survived just because of one simple truth.

GOD IS A HEALER AND HE IS FAITHFUL

I needed to write this now to tell someone out there, that God is faithful.  You may have to go through the valley experiences every now and then, because it’s the way of the world we live in..but those experiences just serve to show God in a brighter, more evident light.

He is faithful that promised and He has said He will never leave us nor forsake us. These words I know for myself. Do take this word from the mouth of someone who has been in very dark place once, a place where I wasn’t sure of what the next second will bring, a place where often times I long for death because it seemed like a more preferable option to pain..

I spent three months on the hospital bed and I can honestly tell you that it was like passing through fire, but more importantly I can add that God sits as a purifier…and He will never let you have more than you can bear.

Go on…cry atimes…scream if it makes you feel better…Give Him a chair and insist on a dialogue..but never stop trusting Him…Never stop lighting up the flame of your faith. He will deliver you in His perfect time.

Hmmm...tears are rolling down my eyes and I can see the applicability of your encouraging words in my life. Please share with us what you learnt from this experience.

I learnt the following:
1. God is a deliverer..an ever present help in the time of need...
2. God gives an amazing amount of grace when we reach out to Him in trying times...
3. It is good to be a true friend or family to someone, because you will never know the value of friendship or family as much as when you are in your dark place...
4. Pain doesn't kill and sometimes we have to go through some unpleasant stuff in life..but as long as we don't get killed by it, we will be better off and live to tell the testimonies...
5. Friends and Family were awesome and they made a terrible time, bearable...

Modupe, I am sure that your being alive today is not by chance or by mistake. God has a special purpose for you and by His grace, you will fulfill it. May you continue to have testimonies all the days of your life. Thank you for sharing this testimony.