Testimony of Healing August 26, 1916 Issue

My parents were members of an orthodox church, trying...

Julia C. Odren

My parents were members of an orthodox church, trying to live good Christian lives and to bring up their family of six little ones to know and love God. In 1871 a little brother passed on. Then we suffered great loss by fire. Less than two months afterward my mother passed on, and two weeks later the little brother born the day before mother's death. Although I was only five years old at the time, never will I forget the terrible passion of my father when told by those who were supposed to know, that God had brought it all about for a punishment, or for some good purpose that would be revealed to him later on. He told them he wanted nothing to do with such a God, and forbade us to look into the Bible or to pray to such a God.

The dark years that followed need not be described, but it was a weary tramp through intense darkness, with a longing that was never satisfied. I did not dare to pray to God, but would cry out to my mother day and night for an understanding of the God she had loved and trusted. Words cannot tell of the agonies I endured until after my marriage at the age of twenty-three. Then I began to study the Bible and attend the different churches. I would ask the minister of each one to tell me of a God that I could know for a positive fact was God, but could get no satisfaction ; I could not find the God my mother had taught me was Love, all good.

Finally my husband and I were offered a good chance on a farm, and as I was in a delicate condition we decided to move at once. On Monday morning we loaded our goods on a lumber wagon and started, I riding with him on his wagon. On going down a steep place the wagon gave a lurch and I was thrown on to one of the wheels. For a few minutes the pain was severe, but as we had only a few miles farther to go, we went on, arriving at the farm between three and four o'clock. The rest of the day and that night I seemed dazed at times, not conscious of my surroundings, but in the morning my suffering was intense. A doctor was called, and when he came I was in agony, and at ten o'clock of the second night the child was born. Then followed sixteen months of the worst misery I think any mortal was ever forced to bear. During that time we had five of the best doctors we could find, but each one, after doing all he could, would say to get some one else, as he could do no more.

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