GOD'S SUSTAINING POWER

As a little girl of 4 years I was with my parents and other workers in the fields just outside Durban when a certain Pastor Rowlands and a few friends of the Full Gospel Church of God played and sang Christian choruses within hearing distance. To me that sounded so beautiful. [In later years my brothers, sisters and I sometimes sneaked out of the house to go to their Church in Alpine Road, where my brother was the first one of the family that eventually got saved]. In the meantime I had a dream about the Red Sea and the exodus of people being saved by passing through the Sea. (At that time I had never heard the story as related in Exodus 14 and 15). Then one day when I had been to the Church the congregation sang the following chorus: "How great is our God How great is His Name He's the only One Who's ever the same He rolled back the waters Of the mighty Red Sea And said, 'I'll lead you Put your trust in me.'" After enquiring, I got a Bible and read the history of the Israelites being led by Moses and Aaron. I then accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. (Incidentally, the above chorus has remained my favourite chorus through all the years)! During 1993 I suffered from heartburn a lot. I did not really worry about it because I was quite healthy, a loving wife and mother to four kids, and very busy with house chores and cooking for my family and friends. But the heartburn persisted and I went to see one doctor after the other. They all said there was nothing wrong with me. I had no medical aid but while dr Naude was performing his duties at the Provincial Hospital he was willing to see me and said that a gastroscopy should be performed. He removed some tissues for testing at the laboratory in Johannesburg. On my wedding anniversary, 4 Sept. 1993, I had an urgent call from the hospital telling me to come and see the doctor again. I must admit that I was a bit worried, but while standing and talking to the sisters, a calmness and peace descended on me from on high. The doctor looked sad and informed me that the results of my tests had come back and that they found that my oesophagus was malignant and that there were two other malignant tumours. He immediately referred me to the General Hospital in Johannesburg. I was then scheduled for an operation for the 21st of September. During the 5 hour operation, the surgeon performed a total gastrectomy and removed 5 cm of my oesophagus. A few months after my operation I fell pregnant. Being 42 years of age and not very healthy at that stage, they wanted to abort the foetus. I trusted God that the pregnancy would go well and a little boy was born! A miracle! We named him Joshua. He will turn 11 in November. Praise God! In 1996 I had a total hysterectomy and in June of the same year I had cancer spread to my lung. The doctors removed half of my left lung. I also had my gall bladder taken out. Through all of my trials and tribulations, God listened to my prayers. He never rejected me or withheld His love from me. He sustains me every day of my life. Prayer is not a crutch that helps me to stand. It is the very legs on which I stand! I praise God continually for His love and unfailing support! "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temp-tations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:6-7 KJV). Sandra Annamalai is available to testify of God’s sustaining grace and may be contacted at (018) 296 0835.