Learned in humility

[Chaplain]

My personal Testimony starts as follows... :HeartThrob:

I was born to a prominent family in 1959 with a twin sister.
At birth I almost died as a result of being the second delivered breach.
I got all the way to fourth grade, and couldn't read or write as my sister always did my homework! I had an above average IQ, but struggled in school because it was discovered later that I had learning disabilities.

As one who came from a family that pushed education and social status all too often;
I became a bit of an elitists' embarrassment; as I was put into the class room with what is commonly referred to as "Sweat Hogs"...
Anyway, the Lord would have His way with me in my life, despite the educational establishment including the Church.

In 1980 I enlisted in the US Coast Guard, served aboard two 378' Cutters overseas, and learned to survive aboard a ship that had some people on it that should have been in prison instead. One fellow who rejected the Gospel I shared with him, thought about ending my life while I slept, until I tried to provoke him into fighting me.
He laughed as he was well over twice my size, but then decides he liked me instead.
The man is now in prison serving life for a double homicide and another soon died in a fishing boat in Alaska.

After my brief enlistment as a "machinery striker" as I was never excepted into any Coast Guard schools, I got out and worked for my father who was a tentmaker, I worked as a roustabout for him swinging a sledge hammer on a daily bases while my friends attended Universities. One evening I had enough, and prayed really hard about a career.
I opened a devotional that read; we are to be "Vessels of Light for Christ" frustrated I shut the pamphlet and went to bed.
The next morning the Captain aboard the Lightship Chesapeake called me and offered me a job! I thought to myself (this ship is a vessel of light,) and promptly accepted the position.
During this time period I would study the Bible under Dr. Gross D.D., Th.D., Ph.D. who specialized in occult counseling. My life has never been the same since.

In 1989 I became a Marine Machinery Technician for the Army, and worked on the docks overlooking the U.S. Coast Guard Yard. This body of water between us was like my own personal "Jordan river"!
Years later, I would meet my future wife on the "Coast Guard side" in a chow line. She would come to a saving faith, (after many a personal testimony were received by me from the Lord) and we would Wed in 1998.

By 1999, the Lord spoke to my heart using a vision: the vision was of a "Technicolor" heart beating full of rich green grass, but neither I nor my wife understood it.
The next morning early I was warming up my car for my drive to work.
Pastor Alistair Beg was on the radio talking about his father who was a shepherd in Scotland. He explained that the word "Pastor" is derived from the word "Pasture"; and that is only God who can give a man a "Pastor's Heart"! That is when I understood the meaning of my vision!

After my Army deployment for Operation Enduring Freedom, I returned home to be elected as a Deacon in my local Church. Amazingly to me, I surpassed the training for Deacons and Elders but when I told the Pastor about my experience, (my knees became weak) he said little but tried to encourage me.

In January 2005, I sent in my Christian experiences in the mail to be considered for a position in Ministry.
I received a "honorary" Doctor of Divinity and Ordination as an Independent Minister.
When I showed the men at work down the docks, they roared with laughing!
By February 2005, I had transferred back into my old Army Unit; it was on my 20 years in the military.

My Unit was under going Water Survival Training at Ft. Meade, MD. I had been doing this training since first entering the USCG back in 1980. After the training was complete, I experienced what I thought was heartburn. By the grace of God a Warrant Officer dialed 911, and the Paramedics arrived and hooked me up just as my heart decided to stop beating. I remember seeing that same shadow of a man; I paid little attention too in my car, when I had my "Pastoral vision" years before!
This time however I could not only see him in shadow, but I could feel him pressing up against my right shoulder! Than everything went black: the next thing I remember was looking up on my back in complete darkness, and seeing what looked like someone sliding open a manhole cover above me!

I could see the faces of the Paramedics working on me and shortly regained consciousness.
Than as I was being transported to the hospital, my ambulance became stuck in traffic, I thought to myself (this is not good) and only wished I could see outside what was going on.
Immediately I could see in slow motion, my ambulance racing towards me as I had a "birds eye view" of everything in perfect clarity! My mind was very sharp; I could remember everything about my life but nothing bothered me as it was the best mood I can ever recall being in!

My lungs filled up with fluid, and I was not suspected to survive the night. When I awoke after a couple days my immediate family was present with me. I told them this story but my mother asked how I could have seen outside my ambulance?
Immediately I told her it must have been out the back door looking in a bug eye mirror. She looked strangely at me for a second, and then I realized there was no window I could have seen out of!
The whole event seemed so natural to my mind that it had to find a logical meaning for this event.

After getting out of the hospital, I spoke with an Army Chaplain that deeply encouraged me.
When I was able to attend Church the sermon was on, the good Shepherd lying down with the lamb.
Suddenly it felt like a bucket of water was being poured overtop of me, as I remembered the Man in shadow lying next to me! I know it was Christ, and he will never leave you nor forsake you!

About a year later I received my accreditation as a Chaplain, from the same organization the Army Chaplain was in, I had spoken with out of the hospital! 

Live by Faith, not by knowledge...  Roland Dell , USA (Ret.)

[Molly]

wow!  That was a beautiful witness!  Thankyou!

:welcome:

[SQ]

Thank you for sharing, that was beautiful.

[Shadowland]

Thank you for your testimony....I love reading those!

I plan to put mine in this forum too when have time.