Miss Alice Sturley
A WONDERFUL MIRACLE
At Principal George Jeffreys’ Birmingham Campaign
I cannot say how grateful to God I am, for sending1 Principal George Jeffreys toBirmingham. Had it not been so, I might have gone on being a cripple unto the end of my days; but, glory be to God, I am healed! I am writing my testimony so that it may help someone else to have faith in my Saviour. I have been converted for twenty-one years, but had never had sufficient faith to trust Him; but from now, I am determined to trust Him for everything.
I have been a Salvationist nearly all my life, for I went to the Army Sunday school as a child, and now have a class of my own.
When I was eighteen months old, I fell downstairs, and because I did not cry, and no bruises were seen, it was thought that I was not hurt. But I did not commence to walk until I was three years old. Then my mother noticed that I did not put my left leg to the ground, and when I tried to walk, would drag it after me. I was taken to the Children’s Hospital inBirmingham, and treated for two years as an out-patient with a dislocated hip, but the doctors could not do anything for me. I was then taken toDudleyRoadHospitaland was strapped down in bed for six weeks, but with no results. The doctor there said nothing could be done unless I had an operation, but he could not perform this as I had a weak heart. He told my mother that I would not live to be eleven.
When I was ten years old I went intoWestBromwichHospitalfor three weeks, but the doctor there said nothing could be done. Years went on, and my leg was getting worse, and causing me dreadful pain at times. I used to fall down without any warning. I went into domestic service, but had to leave on account of my leg. I then went intoSellyOakHospital, I was sixteen years of age at this time, and the doctors there could not do anything for me, except recommend a surgical boot. This helped me with my walking, but did not ease the pain; night after night I did not sleep, and could not get any ease, and my mother could not do anything to relieve me.
On Sunday, March 30th, 1930, I was asked to go to the Revival Campaign meetings, but I tried to make the excuse that I had my class to attend to. A substitute was found, however, and I came, though with very mixed feelings: and when you gave the invitation I went out with many others that afternoon and was the first to be prayed for. When I got out into the aisle of Ebenezer Chapel, I trembled from head to foot, and whilst crossing the road with my friends afterwards I felt a twitching and a prickly sensation in my left hip, and then in my knee. Before this it was always the right leg that caused me pain, and I remarked to my friends the feeling in my leg. God must have worked immediately, for when I reached home at night, I found that in my left hip, which had always been so much larger than the right one, the bone had gone back into its place. Hallelujah!
At first I thought it was imagination, but no, it was quite all right. I rushed upstairs to my mother, who was nearly asleep in bed, and got her up to feel my hip. She asserted that it had gone back into its place, and both hips were the same. Oh how I thanked God and asked Him still to give me more faith, and that He would make me bolder to speak for Him. Then another difficulty presented itself, if I believed God had healed me. I must leave off my surgical shoe, but where was the money coming from to buy a pair of ordinary shoes (I had not done any work for over four years through ill-health); Then I prayed that God would help me in my difficulty, and praise the Lord, He sent along a friend, who gave me a letter to get some shoes, and said I could pay back when I started to work. How glad I was to leave the heavy burden off, and how proud I felt as I held my surgical shoes up on the platform, I have since burned three boots and a shoe, but am still keeping one to shew people what God has done for me. I give Him all the glory.
