Carol Stream, IL. 6
Kathy K.
I want to tell you about my best friend. His name is Jesus Christ.
I was born in New Jersey and moved to Wheaton at the age of 7. My mother was bipolar and most of the time mad and angry. She destroyed all the unity in our house. My parents fought all the time. My dad was a great person but my mother picked him apart all the time as she did all of us. I spent many a day in my room crying and wondering why my mom didn’t love me. I was raised a Catholic, but when I was 13 I went across the street to Mrs. Abuhle’s house who was a born again Christian to talk to her about the problems that I had. She asked me if I knew Jesus. I said no, just at church was all that I knew. She then asked me if I would like to have Jesus as my savior and lord of my life. I started going to the Evangelical Free Church in Wheaton with them.
I then joined a bible study called “Youth for Christ” in which I was a leader. We then went into Chicago on Sundays to help with food kitchens. Then one weekend we went down to Indiana to a church and helped with Exorcisms and it was amazing. I saw people changing from horrible people to people of peace and happiness. Sometimes it took hours of prayer and battling the enemy.
Then my mom went into a deep depression and had to go to Loyola Hospital for help with her depression. She was there 3 months. I had to cook meals, make my dad’s lunches, iron his shirts clean, plus go to school and work. I was 16 years old. My mom then came home. I then had to take her to shock treatments. She then would not have a memory for about 5 hours after that. I was so glad I had Jesus in my life. He helped me deal with all of this, plus be able to talk to her and help her.
I then met my husband at a Catholic singles club. After dating for almost a year we got married and lived in Naperville for a year, then moved to Yorkville, IL in a farm house. We cleaned it up and made it a home. The farm had 90 acres of land and a corn crib of which we made horse stalls and a tack room out of the sides. We then got 2 horses, 3 pigs, 13 chickens, 7 cats and 2 dogs. I also had 2 40 ft. gardens. My life was so wonderful. A year and a half later, my first daughter was born. She was perfect. I usually canned 600 quarts of vegetables and froze almost that much. We heated our house with wood so I split wood every day. I usually took a walk in the field and would pray and talk to God. I could always tell when God was with me because it would get brighter out. We then, along with 3 other couples started an Assembly of God church in Yorkville. The pastor was Paul Martin. My husband became a Christian and did a lot of teaching.
Then when I was 25 years old I had spent a year and a half loosing 50 lbs. Then clear out of the blue I started swelling up with water and went up 100 lbs. I could not wear my shoes and had to wrap my legs. We prayed at church by laying hands on people. They prayed for me and 11 doctors and a trip to Mayo Clinic still gave me no answer. I prayed so hard and still no answer. Then one night I woke up to a voice talking to me and I knew it was Jesus. I looked to see if I could see him and I could not. He said he didn’t want me to end my life because of my fluid retention. He needed me to work among his Holy people. He also said I would be with him in heaven. He said be careful so you don’t lose your crown. And then he said he would not be talking to me like this again for a while. He said to write down what he had said. Then my husband, who was somehow left out of this, was not allowed to hear it. He then took a big deep breath like he wasn’t breathing before. My husband lost his job and times were tough. One night we had a storm and a tornado went right over our house but hit a lot of others. I prayed for an hour with my daughter in a dirt floor basement and the Lord saved us.My horse had foundered one day because he got too hot from working him and drank water too soon. This can make them lame. We prayed for him and laid hands on him and the Lord healed him. One night the Lord said to me, if you will agree to have a child, I will make you well. I said yes and 2 weeks later I was pregnant with Kim. I lost 50 lbs carrying her and nursing her after she was born. God kept his promise. I then was baptized in Nelson’s pond with my husband and 2 daughters by full immersion.
My husband than got a job with a guy who had a bar at work and transported drugs. My husband said he wanted to lead them to Jesus and if any of them started rubbing off on him, to let him know. He soon left God and us and after a week came back to say he was getting a divorce. He left me with a 1 year old girl and a 6 year old girl, no money and no car. He sold the horses and took all the horse stuff and sold it one day when I was gone to look for a job. His uncle down the road was a farmer who helped us buy a car. They also gave us some chickens and the farmers gave us food. The Lord never let us down. Somebody would always drop off some wood for the wood burner.It was 80 below that winter and 80 in my living room. He is an amazing God! I moved to Carol Stream in 1987 and found a job. My oldest girl, then 14, went to visit her dad and never came home. For 2 weeks I cried my eyes out. God has filled that pain with peace and love. I pray that she will come back and talk to me again and talk to her sister. I believe that he will answer prayer. As I look back on my life as a single mom, I don’t know how I made it. God kept me and my daughters safe.
I became very overweight and it was hard to get around. My weight was 359 lbs. I then got gastric bypass and lost 230 lbs. The Lord again came to my rescue. My daughter got married to an alcoholic and pot smoker. He is very mean to me. I think this is because he is not a Christian and Satan runs his life and doesn’t like God who runs mine. Then my daughter moved to Michigan and I asked the Lord what’s next and hadn’t I had enough? He again said to look to him.Then a lady in Chicago ran a red light and totaled my car. She hit me and then pushed me into a building. As I was going toward the building and felt a hand on my shoulder keeping me in place even though I had my seat belt on. All I suffered was a broken knee bone. I healed fine. Then a lady at L.C.M. co-signed for a car for me and I’m able to make payments. Again Jesus came to my rescue. This is why Jesus is my best friend!
Kathy K.