I had been working in the mission in Oakland for about four years. I had trained as a mainframe computer programmer and was working at that for two years. This was about early 1990 and my health just started falling apart. It started with carpel tunnel syndrome, my hands would start feeling numb and painful. It got so bad the doctor had to medicate me in order to get any sleep. This started compounding the problems as I could not shake off the medicine to get alert enough to be creative at work. That caused stress and then came the digestive problems. I had GERD from a hiatal hernia and it just eat away my esophagus. Shortly after that, I came down with Peroni’s disease which halted my sex life. That added even more stress. Then the ringing in my ears got worse and I had to get a hearing aid. That only helped a little.
By mid-summer we had caught up at work and my supervisor told me to take as much time as I needed to get my surgeries done. First up was the hernia repair. They checked me in to prep for surgery and discovered my red blood cell count was so low that I should be dead. They refused to proceed the way things were, so they transfused me with fresh blood and sent me home to build back up my blood. I had been on a liquid diet, but they then put me on a clear liquid diet for two weeks. It feels like you are starving. I finally got that problem settled and had to schedule for two carpel tunnel surgeries. We scheduled the first and was about to do it when I got a notice from work that I had been terminated for too much sick leave.
The doctor doing my hands asked about that saying he thought they gave me enough time off. When I confirmed they did, he got mad at them. The doctor had a lawyer friend he said could set things right. We then started the process of suing my employer for wrongful termination. We did the other surgery and waited out the suit. It took most part of a year when we finally got a settlement for about a year’s pay. Trouble is I did not get my job back, they claimed that they wouldn’t do it. I agreed to the amount with the stipulation I would get my job back. It wasn’t near enough money with the circumstance. Having lost my job for medical reasons and filing a lawsuit, it amounted to a black-ball from any new employment. Nobody would hire me. I got bitter towards God for letting so many things happen to my health while I was doing His work. What did He do? He pulled the rest of it from me.
Then God started drying things up for us in the mission work. First, the men’s home burnt down. The women’s home wasn’t doing very well either. We had five kids from one mother we were trying to adopt. They were black, and a new worker and supervisor was put on the case and they put a block on the adoption. It seems they were worried they would lose their black cultural heritage if adopted by whites. It became apparent that wasn’t going to go through also. Here we are in a city with rent about $1000 a month, with no job and other things drying up. We had no choice but to start planning a move to someplace cheaper to live. It turns out that my mother was selling the house in San Bernardino and moving everything to Arkansas where she had about three properties. We made arrangements to have the kids picked up. We told the missionary head she would have to get another second officer. She said her daughter would do it. We then loaded up and headed to San Berdoo and then Arkansas.
We had moved in with family, which didn’t honor our religious beliefs very much. I had no choice but to stay there because my digestive system was a mess. I had incapacitating gas problems that kept me down. It took three years but I finally got my Social Security Disability insurance approved in Arkansas. God would not let me do anything for Him for the next 30 years. I am much more humble that I was then. I finally started writing some books on what God has taught me. I had trouble getting a publisher after writing two. Four years after copyrighting the first, I am living in a nursing home getting my knee joints replaced. While there a new Christian publisher started advertising. I made arrangements to move in with my youngest son and I applied to this publisher. They approved both books and I started getting the publishing done. The first one is done, paid for and published. The second is about done, should be early this fall. Most of my present life amounts to pain management for severe arthritis and a plethora of other pills for digestive and heart problems. When God does talk to me, He says “My grace is sufficient for you.”
I have since dealt with my bitterness and depression over my health issues. I still believe everything God has taught me. God claims He is preparing me for a great work in this last hour. There are many others going through the fire like you and I. He has need of us that will not trust the flesh to do His bidding.
By mid-summer we had caught up at work and my supervisor told me to take as much time as I needed to get my surgeries done. First up was the hernia repair. They checked me in to prep for surgery and discovered my red blood cell count was so low that I should be dead. They refused to proceed the way things were, so they transfused me with fresh blood and sent me home to build back up my blood. I had been on a liquid diet, but they then put me on a clear liquid diet for two weeks. It feels like you are starving. I finally got that problem settled and had to schedule for two carpel tunnel surgeries. We scheduled the first and was about to do it when I got a notice from work that I had been terminated for too much sick leave.
The doctor doing my hands asked about that saying he thought they gave me enough time off. When I confirmed they did, he got mad at them. The doctor had a lawyer friend he said could set things right. We then started the process of suing my employer for wrongful termination. We did the other surgery and waited out the suit. It took most part of a year when we finally got a settlement for about a year’s pay. Trouble is I did not get my job back, they claimed that they wouldn’t do it. I agreed to the amount with the stipulation I would get my job back. It wasn’t near enough money with the circumstance. Having lost my job for medical reasons and filing a lawsuit, it amounted to a black-ball from any new employment. Nobody would hire me. I got bitter towards God for letting so many things happen to my health while I was doing His work. What did He do? He pulled the rest of it from me.
Then God started drying things up for us in the mission work. First, the men’s home burnt down. The women’s home wasn’t doing very well either. We had five kids from one mother we were trying to adopt. They were black, and a new worker and supervisor was put on the case and they put a block on the adoption. It seems they were worried they would lose their black cultural heritage if adopted by whites. It became apparent that wasn’t going to go through also. Here we are in a city with rent about $1000 a month, with no job and other things drying up. We had no choice but to start planning a move to someplace cheaper to live. It turns out that my mother was selling the house in San Bernardino and moving everything to Arkansas where she had about three properties. We made arrangements to have the kids picked up. We told the missionary head she would have to get another second officer. She said her daughter would do it. We then loaded up and headed to San Berdoo and then Arkansas.
We had moved in with family, which didn’t honor our religious beliefs very much. I had no choice but to stay there because my digestive system was a mess. I had incapacitating gas problems that kept me down. It took three years but I finally got my Social Security Disability insurance approved in Arkansas. God would not let me do anything for Him for the next 30 years. I am much more humble that I was then. I finally started writing some books on what God has taught me. I had trouble getting a publisher after writing two. Four years after copyrighting the first, I am living in a nursing home getting my knee joints replaced. While there a new Christian publisher started advertising. I made arrangements to move in with my youngest son and I applied to this publisher. They approved both books and I started getting the publishing done. The first one is done, paid for and published. The second is about done, should be early this fall. Most of my present life amounts to pain management for severe arthritis and a plethora of other pills for digestive and heart problems. When God does talk to me, He says “My grace is sufficient for you.”
I have since dealt with my bitterness and depression over my health issues. I still believe everything God has taught me. God claims He is preparing me for a great work in this last hour. There are many others going through the fire like you and I. He has need of us that will not trust the flesh to do His bidding.
-
1
- Show all