(Salvation Testimony) When Jesus Takes Control

Katherine Johnson | Anchorage Good News Church

I had to resign from my job in May because I was having a lot of health issues. For a long time, I suffered from hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, depression, and on top of all of that, a year and a half before I resigned, I fell off a ladder and fractured my foot. As I was healing from the fracture at home, I accidently fell down some stairs. The doctor told me that because of the extent of the injury, my foot would never heal properly unless I have surgery. I still had a lot of swelling and pain, but I would continue to go to work with my arthritis and fractured foot pain. Because of that, I was having a lot of depression issues and the doctors had to keep adjusting my hypothyroidism medication. I was having a lot of problems just trying to remember the small things in my every day activities and life. This was becoming a huge problem at work. I would Church be standing there, trying to remember how to work the POS (Point of Sale) system that I had worked on hundreds of times, over and over. I knew that something was wrong with not being able to remember things. This added stress and fatigue, and I knew I had to do something. I didn’t want the business to fail because of me, so I surrendered my 51% ownership of the gift shop at that time. It was very much an added relief for me after I quit. I was able to let my body somewhat heal. The stress and fatigue was being eliminated slowly, although I was still having a lot of the arthritis pain. It took several months for me to start feeling okay again.

During my recovery I got connected with the church through my neighbor Kay Landon. I've known Kay for about 10 years now. It started out when I would run into her while she was working at Walmart. We would always strike up a conversation when we saw each other, and this would happen periodically through the years and through neighborhood garage/yard sales. The neighborhood was having our annual garage sale, and Kay was participating in it, so I went over to say, hi. I told her a lot about what was going on in the last couple of years, and said that I quit my job. So for about 5 years now, she’s been trying to get me to come over for coffee, and I told her that I finally have free time to come over and speak to her. She told me we should get together for that cup of coffee. And so I started going over for coffee, and the pastor started coming over to talk to me about the Bible.

Then, we started talking about what Jesus had done for me and how he paid for my sins. I started accepting the Word, little by little. Now on every Tuesday, I get together with the pastor for our Bible studies and through that I started having more faith. The words that came to my heart strongly are the words in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you: but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God.” This is the verse that came to my heart and spoke to me. The Bible says, if you ask, then you shall receive. Through the past many years, I have had a lot of health problems, such as hypothyroidism, arthritis, depression, high cholesterol, psoriasis, and was on so many different medications. However, one day, I decided that I shouldn't have to take any of these medications anymore. The Bible says that I am washed, I am sanctified, I am justified, and I believe these words. Now, I believe that He took all of my sins away and all my sicknesses away as well. Since the middle of October 2014 until today, I have not taken any medication. Through the pastor, and the Word that he preached to me, I gained the faith to quit all of my medication.

Before being saved, Jesus wasn’t working actively in my life; in fact, He could not because I was not saved. Now, I’m learning to let Jesus take control of everything. I can’t succeed Testimony in anything without my Lord and Savior. For most of my upbringing, I was raised Baptist. I was always taught that I had to repent for my sins and ask for forgiveness. Now, I know the true meaning of God’s Word, that when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for all of my sins.

I hope to see everybody in my life to know, trust, and have faith in God’s Words. I have a question for everyone- If someone is knocking at your door with loads of gifts of all kinds of treasures and blessings, are you going to keep that person waiting, or will you answer the door? I pray that you answer your door. I also pray that everybody that you know will answer their doors as well. God is waiting. I hope to continue speaking to the pastor and to continue to grow in faith. I also hope to glorify God through the church.

From Good News Magazine