A wonderful testimony
of
Loraine Johnson for
the Glory of Jesus Christ
(Will you please
take time to read this long testimony patiently so that you
may know Christ Jesus, and the power of His
resurrection and the fellowship
of His sufferings,
being made conformable unto His death...Phil.3:10?)
As I was knit in the womb, the Lord was with me. My mama had surgery
to remove a goiter and was 5-6 weeks pregnant with me. When I was born
everything look pretty good. As I grew up, we
discovered that my
skeleton had some problems with stunting and miss alignment. Had
chronic dislocating knee caps and from 1st grade had worn a cast on
the last leg from hip to ankle at least once every single year of my
grade school. Finally they gave up on try to fix the problems. When I
was 10 years old my father molested me. I was so very traumatized by
this event. I hid it in my heart for many years.
I was born in
through 6th grade and 7th & 8th in
family moved to
mom and dad went to as well. My Mom was driving mentally challenged
students for the school district.
I got into High School and loved it! I played Bb Clarinet, Tenor Sax,
and piano really GOOD! I started singing when I was in 3rd grade and
piano in 1st grade and clarinet in 4th grade. I did some Drama, and
loved it. Music was my life.
My senior year of high school, I graduated mid-term because I had too
many units. I was teaching piano lessons and student conducting at the
Jr. High. My High School Choir Teacher and his wife became very good
friends. Dean had me as his assistant for the high school choir and
Chris his wife was coaching me on piano and voice, and assisting with
the Jr. Hi Choir. So even though I
had graduated early, I was still
very involved with the high school and Jr. Hi during the last semester
of the school year.
In May 1976 our High School Choir annually went on tour to the South
Bay from
the tour. The night before I got up very ill. Mom
called Dean and said
that I should not go. He said if Loraine doesn't go, we don't go. So
he told my mom that I could ride with him in his car that he also took
in case of any emergency. Mom usually insisted that I ride the bus,
because that was the safest place. On our way, Dean was testing me and
was convinced that I had perfect pitch and I did! About 1 1/2 hours
down the road, the school bus took an exit before the
and we followed. The bus driver told Dean that he needed to stop some
place to get more oil and that it was low. As we came back onto the
bridge, the next exit had a place to get oil. Dean and I were in front
of the bus. I heard a great crash and turned around the see the bus
flip in mid air and fall 30 ft below the exit. As we approached the
stop sign at the bottom of the exit, Dean asked if I could drive. I
told him yes. I took the car while he ran to the bus to help our
friends. I drove only 1/2 mile to find a small driveway that went up a
slight hill. I parked the car, went into the office and told them that
my high school choir's bus just fell off the exit from the top. That
office was the Shell Oil Administration office. They push the panic
buttons. The emergency workers thought that accident was at Shell. I
called me Mom knowing that she would be home at
run. I told her what happened and she said she would come and get me.
I lost consciousness at the point. I was transferred to the Shell Oil
Hospital after they got permission from my Mom to treat me. Remember I
had the car (with all the permission slips for the students in the
trunk). Since Dean did not know where I went or the trouble I was in,
the police had issued an APB on me trying to find me. I was 17 years
old.
Mom drove to the high school, told them, and picked up my sister
Lyndia. She made that trip in 45 minutes. They had
the bridge closed
to traffic as they tried to rescue the students. When Mom told them
were I was, they sent a police officer to find me. The officer's name
was Cross. I remember being freezing cold and later learned that they
had packed my in ice to try to get a blood pressure reading. I was in
advanced stages of shock. When they finally got a reading they
released me to Officer Cross. They were hunting for the car with the
slips, and he took the keys with him. By the time they had sent me mom
on the long way around to get to me, they got a statement from me.
When we arrived with my sister, we were all put in a police car and
taken to the Armory where everyone was sent to find out if their child
was alive and in what hospital or they were confirmed dead. I was 17
years old.
I suffer from Post Traumatic Syndrome, not mentally since the Lord has
taken all that, but physically. In 1976 they didn't know about PTS.
Before the accident I had been awarded a full scholarship at
August of 1976. I started college and started getting sick. Blood
Pressure not stable, immune problems. In the 1980's I had 7 surgeries
(knee, kidney, tonsils, and more) in the space
of 6 years. I left
college in the 3rd semester and started working full time. In 1981 my
Dad left my Mom while she had been down with me during the kidney
repair surgery. When my mom went home he was gone. Told her, he wanted
a divorce. Mom and I were both devastated. (My Dad started having
health problems in the 80's as well).
Mom moved down to
in. In 1982 we decided to move in together and living as room mates
with independent lives. Well somehow the Lord created a relationship
like none other between a mother and a daughter. We did everything
together. In 1985 I started working for Apple Computer in
CA. Mom started a year later in a different department at Apple. In
1991 after 5 years, I was given a 6 week Sabbatical. We took a 3 weeks
vacation going to
then to
starting to feel better. Then in 1991, my blood pressure became
dangerously unstable. I was a Support Analyst support
the AS400 for
the Distribution department. Very stressful job! They arrange to get
me a huge severance package and we moved north to the
area.
I went back to work about 3 months later full time as a secretary. I
worked until 1994 and everything started going wrong with me again and
given a wheelchair to use. In August 1994 I was put on permanent
disability at the age of 36. I am a Type A Driver. We
started a small
home based Travel Agency selling cruises and tours. We did pretty
well. Cruised a lot, and I love cruising.
Now in the mid 80's we left the Catholic Church and started with an
Assemblies of
church. As we moved from different areas in the south bay, we changed
churches several times. One church that gave us an incredible
foundation in the Word and in Jesus Christ. We lost our
pastor to
cancer which devastated that church. About that time, we moved north
to
church there and became good friends with the Pastor and his wife.
After 3 years we moved to
I had to stay home, it was a great place to
stay.
I got very sick and skin turned gray because I did not have enough
energy to run all the body functions. In 1996 I was diagnosed with PTS
Fibromyalgia and in the advanced stages with progressive
nerve damage
and loss (and several other physical problems to go with it). Took
some time to get the right meds and almost died 3 times that year. In
1997 I decided to stop doing everything that made my tired (which was
everything, from household things to driving). I
stopped it all. Well
things improved a bit after 1 year on the med.
Then I discover what PTS does to the body. I was in shock so bad the
brain had sent a message to the core of every cell, the message DIE!
This body had been trying to dye since I was 17 years old. I could
finally function and try to do something to help. The Lord and I
started at the toes, and He and I changed every cell right to the top
of head with a new message; LIVE! However, a lot of damage had been
done along the way. By 1999, I was wheelchair bound and house bound.
Then because of Mold and cost of living, in 1999, we decided we need
to move, but to where? Long short, Uncle Corky - Mom's brother in San
Leandro, came to Hotchkiss every year to hunt for 37
years. He always
called in October and tell us he was back, and did we want to move to
CO. We are 5 generations Northern Californians.
1999, we said yes. In April 2000 we moved to
western slope of the
garage. I have not used it in the house since. The disease is still
progressing, just bought back about 3 years. It's the
nerve damage
body-wide that did not slow down. So energy is a daily
issue to me.
The moral of this story, is that JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE A WELL, and
stands right next to me every day and gives me the energy I need to
get through every day. In May 2000, mom and I started selling
do alot of
talk on the phone a lot! I never let any one go away without a least
part of my testimony. There is a lot more that I didn't include, and
would probably fill a book. Now if I didn't have this disease, people
would not listen to my testimony. I have not been able to do any of my
music for almost 5 years now. I really miss it! Breaks my heart, but
Jesus Christ has promised that when He heals me, He will restore it
even more. I would love for Him to heal me to completely restore me
physically. I quit asking why when I discovered the
definition of why
is confusion. I'm not confused. I know that I will be healed either
here or there. If it's there, then I will move more than I ever had
here. I had a lot a talent, now just on hold for while. I tell them I
don't drive, and they ask why? That allows me to tell my testimony. It
doesn't matter who, where, or how. I will shout from the mountain
tops. Our time is growing short, I and mourn for those who refuse to
believe. I can only plant the seeds. It's His job to do rest.
I should be dead by all doctor accounts. I take medicine that would
put a horse in a coma to keep me alive. I live one day at time, some
days, and a breath a time. My Mom is now my care giver and I can't
thank the Lord enough for what He does for us. If my story is little
jumbled that because I suffer from cognitive deficiency. Spelling is
hard; math is hard, memory, what memory? This body does not know how
to make energy, so I live with His. My greatest desire is the Hope in
the Bless Hope, the Rapture of the church. From this body that He
keeps to the new one He has made for me. In less than a blink of eye,
I will have a restored body that gives Him all the music He wants.
There is so much more to my story. I look forward to telling it over
and over again in Heaven to show how My Savior saved me and kept me. I
can hardly wait to what He has waiting for us!
UPDATE: In 2003 January Mom got sick with Pulmonary Fibrosis and
Inflammation of the Lungs. She is on full time Oxygen and taking a
bunch of meds. She has always taken care of me and now she needs as
much help as I do. We have aids that help with things 2 times a week
now. I am now full time wheelchair bound again. Both of my knees are
gone. My FMS is getting worse and the meds are not working very well
now. As we increase the drugs it becomes more dangerous for me. I
trust fully in the Lord every day. I am in deficit energy again. When
I am in deficit energy I can audibly hear the Lord. He promises me
that He will be with me all the time. He tells what is waiting for me
in Heaven. He told me that I will play not only the instruments I know
but all the heavenly instruments. I will write music for HIM and then
all of Heaven will hear. He told me I will teach the young ones to
play. He told me that I would RUN to the Orchestra area of Heaven as
soon as I arrive, right after we meet face to face. He also told me
that still I can not imagine what He has waiting for me. On the really
bad days, He always reminds what is waiting for me. What a faithful
Lord He is to us. Doctor is telling me that I have one foot here and
one foot in Heaven now. Doctors now say that the Lord is putting O2 in
blood, since in 6000 ft you can not have 99 02 and I often do. I am
now using sugar for energy. I have no metabolic rate to speak of as
Dr. says. I am now on the max dose of the top tricyclic
drug for
depression for chronic pain. The Lord is so very
faithful and has told
me there are legions of angles around our house protecting us from
Satan and his clan.
I have many prayer chains clear across the country going most of the
time now. Don't think I could get through a day without them. I can't
attend church anymore because of the compromised immune system now.
DR's don't think they can fix anything now. I know in my heart of
hearts that He will sustain me for the Blessed Event He has planned
for us. I never tell my story for sympathy, but for the Glory of Jesus
Christ! It is I in Him and He in Me that keeps
me here! Prayer is
always needed, but more than that, the story of salvation is so much
more important. I can't tell you words HOW MUCH I LOVE HIM! Words are
not adequate. I chase after the Crowns from the Lord to throw at His
feet when I arrive. I can not find words that can say thank you, it
seems so lame. I will walk the straight and narrow for HIM!
I love to hear from people as e-emails tend to encourage me more and
more.
My email is johnsonladies@peoplepc.com
With the Love of Christ,
Loraine Johnson 2716
(970) 240-0448