Where it all began - My Testimony

It was the Autumn of 1980 and things in my life had begun to go haywire. After being a busy Regional Manager of a company dealing in garage and motor equipment, I was made redundant. The company had been taken over by our American competitors and we were all given a month’s notice. Not long after that, I was taken ill with what was initially felt to be a stroke. However, it was determined that it was a bad case of Bells Palsy. My face was all twisted, my nose flat against my left cheek. My right eye wouldn’t close and my mouth was slanted against my nose. I couldn’t eat or drink properly and to talk was extremely difficult. I looked like a monster out of  Dr Who. My wife, has just said that I had always looked like that. Thanks for that. I was put on steroids and had to attend Blandford Hospital daily to have electrolysis treatment in order too attempt to coax my face to return to normal. None of this worked.

After about 3 to 4 months there was no change and my GP told me my face would probably stay this way. I had no job, no prospects, I was ill and couldn’t speak properly. No one wanted a Quasimodo type in their company. I became depressed and closed down on most people, I could see no hope at all.
One day, my wife went to work and I was left at home. The kids were at school and I tried to cheer myself up playing my guitar. That lasted about a minute - I just had no motivation to play a note. In the quiet of the house, I heard a voice  within myself. The voice said, ‘Say a prayer and I will heal you.’ The voice kept saying this for the biggest part of the day until I thought I was mentally ill. I told my wife when she came home at lunch time and she said, ‘Perhaps it’s God.’ I had never believed in such things so I ignored this. But as I went to bed that night, I heard the voice again, ‘Say a prayer and I’ll heal you’. I was so low in mood and replied in a sleepy voice, ‘Ok, heal me,’ and I went to sleep.

The next day, I got up and I felt strangely better. I could whistle, something I had not been able to do for some months. I went into the bathroom and as I looked in the mirror, I noticed that my face was beginning to go back into place. I was elated but confused also. I went to my hospital appointment later that morning and was told that I need not come again, my face had all returned to normal. I didn’t know what had happened; all I knew was that a voice - God? - had asked me to pray to Him; I had and now, all was ok.

A neighbour in our village knocked on the door and told us both that she had heard that something had happened to me and as she looked at me, she began rejoicing. I was embarrassed but as we talked, I realised that Jesus Christ had healed me. What the health authorities couldn’t do, He did overnight. That day in September 1980, I became a Christian and my wife soon followed me as she had a spiritual experience in the local church a few days later.
This all happened 45 years ago and we are still going on living our lives for Jesus. We’re not religious fanatics, we’ve just realised that there is more to life than we had before. My wife still says that I’m ‘a little fat bloke’ but these days I am known as ‘the little Christian fat bloke’. Yes our lives have changed much for the better and we have found Jesus’ help so strong at times. He has healed us both; supplied extra needs when we have been on slippery slopes and He continues to bless us every single day. Don’t get me wrong, we still have our bad times, argue and disagree on a lot of things. But now, we have a third person - Jesus Christ - helping us through difficult decisions and guiding us in the right direction. He has led me to study and become an Elim pastor and then go to Uni and qualify as a social worker. It’s been a busy time.
Through Jesus we now have eternal life. This means that when we die and our life is over, we continue in heaven, eternally. Without Him, we would have had nothing. This is the true meaning of Christianity. Jesus died on a cross for each one of us. He took our sin upon Himself and everyone who believes this and asks Him to forgive them for their sin and invites Him into their life, receive Him. He makes each one of us brand new. I know there are many questions that can be asked about this, ‘If God is good etc..then why does He allow etc..’ The answer to this is, I don’t know but, what I do know is that the CO and myself belong to Jesus and to the best of our abilities, will continue to serve Him.

We’re nothing special; as I said earlier, we are not religious freaks, we are Christians and have found true happiness and life in Him. He has changed our lives and He can change your’s too, if you ask Him. All you have to say is:

‘Lord Jesus, Please forgive me my sin. Please come and live in my life, fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to live for you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

If you said this prayer, you are a Christian. Find a church, get yourself a modern bible and take it from there.

God Bless

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
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