We were blessed with permission to post an amazing testimony of a young lady, Theresa, who went through a terrible ordeal, but survived and was saved by God. I trust that this testimony will touch you as deeply as it did us, and will encourage others who are also going through a similar trial at the moment.
Good day everyone, my name is Theresa Maria Southall, I am 30 years old and this my Testimony about how God saved my life…
I was in a terrible car accident last year and it is only by God’s grace and mercy that I survived. I suffered a broken neck, broken vertebrae in my spine, 9 broken ribs, internal bleeding, collapsed lungs and a fractured arm. I was in a coma for 2 weeks in George hospital.
Everything was such a blur, I couldn’t remember anything about the accident; but the pain of my injuries was a very real reminder of the battle I was in. On the third day of the third week, I woke up and saw my sister and my husband Quinton next to me and asked them where I was because for a moment it felt like I was at home, they both replied that I had been in a car accident and that I had been in a coma. I asked what had happened, they answered, but I remember not being able to understand, I was dizzy and in terrible pain; all I could hear were the machines next to me. They said I had to go for a spinal and neck fusion operation. I was petrified.
But I was blessed to have a lot of hearts praying for me, I received healing every step of the way. I had 5 operations to mend my broken bones and on day 3 after my operations I stood up and took 3 steps. Take note, Jesus conquered death and was resurrected after 3 days, God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three is the number of VICTORY!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8
There were days that I couldn’t eat or sleep, had so much pain sometimes it felt like I was dying a slow death, I couldn’t fight the pain it was too strong, the pain killers weren’t working, my family got worried. I had tears rolling down my face as I thought of Quinton and our three precious children Donovan, Kayla and Jayden; but I just couldn’t take it anymore, I even had days where I asked God to please take me because I just couldn’t bear it any longer…
Flying into the unknown
The Doctors decided to fly me to Cape Town. I was scared, I didn’t know what to expect, I had to leave my husband, kids and family behind. It was going to be me alone in Cape Town. I remember asking God, “why did you send me to Cape Town alone? I’m not strong enough to do this without my family, please be with me God don’t leave me.” Then I felt like a voice whisper in my ears, “I had to move you to Cape Town, not because I wanted to, but to teach you to believe in me, when I say good things happen with time and that I am your God. I never left you alone.”
Since that day I figured out why God sent me to Cape Town. To show me that I need Him and must rely on Him for everything. He healed me and showed me that miracles do happen, we must not ever lose hope and always have Faith. Faith plays a big role in my life now, I had a lady from Cape Town that came and visited me everyday, I didn’t even know her, my mom knew her and told her about me, her name was Celestina Ribeiro.
Through her, I met Sera and Marcio from the Sacred Heart Ministry who came to pray for me. When they came to pray for me with Celestina, and were standing next to my hospital bed, praying and praying, it felt like guardian angels were around me. All glory to God for sending them to me. He orchestrated it all. I thought I was going crazy, and asked myself, “what’s happening?”
Many operations
Days went by, nights went by…. So on Monday the 25th of June 2018, after my accident, which happened on the 2nd of June 2018, the doctors decided to start my operations, they said they’re going to do 3 operations… I thought, ‘wait a minute? What?’
I was so scared, tears just rolled down my face like never before and I prayed, God please be with me and my doctors, God please bless their hands. So while I was lying there and praying the doctor said he wanted to be honest with me and I thought this doesn’t sound good…he told me everything about my neck and back operations and that some people become paralysed, so I had a 50/50 chance of walking again. I was in shock and terrified, I said to myself, I can’t be paralysed. I have kids, they need me and I prayed like never before.
After an 8-hour surgery, I woke up and first thing running through my head was, “where am I?” The nurses said, “you had a spinal and neck fusion operation, and it was 8 hours long.” I was shocked and asked them for water, so while one of them went to go fetch water, I tried to move my legs and couldn’t feel them, my legs felt numb. My heart was racing and I cried and said, “God am I paralysed?”
They kept me on morphine all the time so I couldn’t feel pain, I couldn’t move my neck, I was sleeping for a month and 2 weeks on my back, staring at the ceiling and that was all I looked at and sometimes I saw Jesus’s face, believe it or not!!!
Standing in Faith
So on the Wednesday, the physio’s came to me and did some tests on me and said it was day 3, so they wanted to see if I could stand on both legs; I was so nervous, it took us 20 minutes just to get me to sit up straight because I kept falling to the sides. I said I couldn’t, my legs just didn’t have strength. I felt hopeless, next moment, I felt a cold wind next to me again and a voice whispered in my ears saying, “trust in your legs.”
The physio said, “okay let’s leave it for tomorrow.”
I said, “no wait, I want to try.”
He said, “are you sure?”
“Yes,” I replied.
So I grabbed his arms and as he was helping me up, it felt like I was going to fall again; touching the floor with my feet made me cry all over again, it felt weird… The floor was ice cold but I could feel every toe touching the floor, for 1 month just lying there and here I was, touching and feeling the floor was the best feeling ever I smiled and shouted, “I can feel the floor!!!” The physio looked at me and smiled, and said, “that’s a good sign.”
So I took my crutches and took 3 steps, everyone looked at me and said, “she’s walking!” Everyone cried and started thanking the Lord Jesus! I looked up and said, “God, I knew you did it!” With the biggest smile!
I couldn’t wait to tell my family and friends and everyone so on Friday the 29th, I had to go for 2 more operations; one for my shoulders and the other for my left hand. 5 operations in 5 days! I thought, “No! Not again!” But thank God, the operations went well. So on Saturday the 30th, the doctors and physio’s went to do more checkups and took me for x-rays, and confirmed that the 5 operations went well, and said I was doing great. Healing fast. They said, “yes, you can go back to George hospital on Monday.” I looked up and said, “God is this for real! Two weeks in Cape Town and I couldn’t believe that during that time, I had drawn closer to God than ever before.
https://www.facebook.com/theresa.southall/videos/2327401783937680/
People looked at me and asked if I was okay and what happened? I told them my story, and they all looked at me, amazed that I was standing and walking after what I had been through. I just replied that God was with me all the time and I could feel His spirit next to me all the time.
Facing my fears
On Monday the 30th, my mom and hubby drove all the way to Cape Town to fetch me; I was scared because it was my first time in a car since the accident. I thought I would never get back in a car again as the nurses helped me get in the car, everyone was standing and praying for a safe trip back; we prayed and prayed and asked to bless my hubby’s hands and eyes on the road and to be with us because we know God is always with us…
I couldn’t wait to get home to see my kids again to hold them and to see those little smiles again! I was getting stronger and stronger, 3 months after my operations I could walk without crutches, I walked with God’s hands, I could feel the spirit of God next to me… I am saved by the Grace of God, if you believe, trust in God because God’s timing and your timing isn’t the same.
Good things happen with time, if you put your trust in God
God’s timing is perfect. I didn’t wait for a warrior, I just put my Faith in God. No matter how big or small or what you’re going through, I want you to remember God is always with you, even if it doesn’t feel like it. You have to believe and have faith in God. Today I’m walking, and even though I am not the same as I was before, but I’m here, breathing everyday and I’m grateful that I’m falling in love with God more and more.
I can’t stop talking about Him, He died for me and you and I choose to walk with faith. I choose to believe and the best part is I’m not walking alone anymore because I know He’s with me and I can walk with my kids, I can dance with my hubby again. I’m not forgiven because I’ve earned acceptance, I’m forgiven because God says he has forgiven me, for it is by Grace that I have been saved through Faith and that this is not from myself it is a gift from God! Amen!
So always feed your Faith and your fears will starve to death.
Shout out
I just want to give a big shout out to all the people who mean the world to me, since day 1 they visited me 3 times a day, they never skipped a day. My little sis Tracy, where do I start? You always held my hand and smiled, telling me I will get through this and that I must just hold on, and kept reminding me about my kids so that I have to fight through this. Tracy I love you so much, you made me smile when I didn’t want to, but you always got it right you had so much Faith in me. I couldn’t ask for a better sister and second my hubby…
Sjoe, where do I start thank you for loving me and always being there for me and reminding me how much God loves me, you always came with a big smile into the ICU. Couldn’t wait to see you each day, I love you so much and I’m so grateful to have you in my life. I also want to thank everyone for their visits and all the phone calls and messages, it means a lot to me, and my kids who had Faith in me. Mommy loves you! And the people in Cape Town who prayed for me, the doctors and nurses, thank you so much each and everyone you showed me what life is really about and how much we need God in our lives.
Philippians 4:13 says we can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives us strength…
And I am living proof of this. All praise, honour and glory to Jesus our Savior.
God bless you all!
Theresa.
Originally shared by The Sacred Heart Ministry
Please share Theresa’s testimony so we can share the good news of Jesus.