hlester@bellsouth.net
My name is Betty J. Lester and I live in South Carolina. I have lived here for over 23 years. I became a born again, Spirit Filled Christian in 1977. My husband and I after his conversion in 1979 toured the south singing and preaching revivals. It was difficult as we both worked full time jobs. We both worked for the State of SC so we would save our days and holidays up to use for revivals. He worked for Clemson University Police Department while I worked for the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Tragedy struck our lives first when he had to go out of work due to Peripheral Neuropathy and Restless Leg Syndrome in 1996. It didn’t end our ministry, but affected out every day life.
Then in 1997 I started having bone problems. I had surgery on my right shoulder and left knee and then for spurs on my left foot. In 1998, I too had to go out of work on total disability. I could barely walk due to pain in my left hip. The doctor said it was time to put in a new hip. So, in July, 2000 I had an implant. Nothing about this surgery went well. Approximately one month from surgery I had infection in the hip and had to undergo surgery a second time. I was already bed fast and had been for some time due to a decubitus on the coccyx. It was necessary that I lie on a silk air mattress. All the while I felt like I was getting weaker and weaker. I thought during the next two weeks in the hospital, several times that I was going to die. I couldn’t stand the sight of food, so was taking in very little food. I was unable to get out of bed without assistance. I couldn’t even turn myself in the bed. Finally, I remember one night being so desperate I prayed all night asking God for help. I call it my all “night prayer meeting”. I prayed until the victory came. I asked one of the helpers the next morning to help get me out of bed. She thought I had lost my mind. I told her I would eat breakfast sitting up. That was what I was doing when my doctor came in. My doctor was a praying man and they had prayer every morning in his office before he went to work. He was so pleased to see me sitting up. He said you might get out of here and get to go home if you keep this up. That was the words I needed to hear. When therapy came that morning, I was ready to walk and walk and work I did. I had calloused hands from the walker. That was on Monday and I went home on Wednesday. I had certainly had an overnight miracle.
I still had Home Health coming in and helping with my therapy for quite some time at home. Eleven months from the time of my surgery, I went to my doctor for a regular check up and he told me that my implant had failed. He explained that a company named Sulzer had made a lot of bad parts & that approximately 3500 hips and knee joints were recalled but not before they were put in peoples bodies. He sent me to another joint specialist where he would help do my third surgery. The doctor did a really good job and all looked well, I finally progressed once again to a cane. Then in May, 10 months from the last revision I found out it didn’t work either. So, I was back in the hospital for the fourth time. This time, the doctor told my husband that I had lost so much bone, he used the biggest cup he had but if this didn’t take, he didn’t know of anything else to do.
Well, it didn’t work and I remained on the cane from that time until August 22nd. Our pastor announced a rather unexpected revival with Pastor Anthony Marquize out of Louisiana. She told me he was used in the gifts of the Spirit. Well, I can’t tell you that I was any more impressed with him than I had been with anyone else. I had been prayed for by some wonderful ministers.
After he preached that night, he called for anyone who had an incurable disease or who had been told there was nothing that could be done for their problem. One man went forth and I had to talk myself into going, as it had failed so many times before. The Evangelist prayed for me and I felt no different. I was slain in the Spirit and when I was back up; I sat down on the front row and watched as he prayed for others. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but all of a sudden he had my arm and began to walk with me. It was like a warmth going up and down my arm, I felt like Jesus was there holding my arm. After a few steps I was walking perfectly normal without a limp. He walked me up and down the aisle and then just let me praise the Lord as God really filled me to overflowing. Then my husband walked with me up and down the aisles a few times, with no limp. I have been walking now for nearly three weeks without a cane and a limp.
On Wednesday night, August 25th, the man of God once again called me out and had me take a seat as about a dozen people looked on. He said that many times when a person has a surgery such as I had they would have one leg shorter than the other. As my feet were stretched out, it was obvious that the left leg was about an inch shorter than the other. Normally, I would have said this was impossible, but this was happening to me. I watched as my leg actually grew out – it popped out and I could feel it as it jumped out there. I will never have any more doubt that it can happen. I could jump up and down and did so several times in rejoicing and praising the Lord.
I have had a miracle and I want the world to know that because of Jesus and the stripes on His back I am now healed off of a cane and walking normally. I love the Lord and want everyone to know of His great love and mighty power to heal, to save and to deliver. He is a miracle worker. I know because I have had one.
Copyright 2004 by Betty Lester
