Chapter 7

Here is Lorna telling her story in her own words.

Hi, my name is Lorna.

I was born and raised in Sydney.
At the age of four my mother died, leaving behind my brother and two sisters.
My father disappeared and we were placed in a children’s home.

Looking back on my childhood I recall many happy times, but there was always one nagging thought that remained with me, who’s little girl, was I?
Who was coming to collect me?

Year after year, month after month, and day after day for eleven years I would wait, hope, and dream that one day my father would come and collect me as he promised.
That day never did come until I met Jesus seventeen years later and now,

‘He walks with me, and talks with me, and tells me that I am his own.’

I understand the scripture that says:

‘When my mother and father forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.’ (Psalm 27:10)

At the age of fifteen I left the children’s home.
I was out in the world virtually on my own, completely ill-prepared.
I still wonder how I ever survived those years.
But the hand of the Lord was upon me, although I did not know it at the time.

At the age of twenty-one, there were times in my life when my heart would ache with the pain of loneliness.
My mind was filled with questions, so many questions.
Who was I?
Who did I belong to and where was I going in life?
I longed to be loved, to belong, and most of all to be understood.
I felt so lost, so afraid and so very alone.

During this period in my life, I was working for a transport company.
It was a Christian organisation of various denominations and it was there I began to enquire about the Lord.
I found myself asking every other question but the one I needed to know.

One night I left work in anguish of heart.
I arrived home, closed the door and wept bitterly.
With all that was within me I cried out to God and said,
‘God if you’re up there, please help me!’

With tears streaming down my face, I looked out of my lounge room window, the day was overcast and the sky was grey.
As I was looking up, I saw the sky part and then a large hand reached down and touched me. I cannot express the joy that filled my soul that day!

In the words of the well-known song,
‘Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.’

For the first time, I knew I was loved,
Today I still know that I am loved.
Ever since I met Jesus, I know who I am and whose I am.

Jeremiah 29:11 says;
‘God knows the plans he has for you,
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.’

I had only known the Lord a matter of weeks when he miraculously saved my life.
After spending a few days in Cooma, my girlfriend and I were driving along the Alpine Way.
We found ourselves caught in a freak snow storm.
I had never seen snow before; it was magical.
However, it was only minutes later that the conditions dramatically changed.

I felt an overwhelming sense of danger.
The car began to slide.
Visibility was extremely poor and I was no longer in control.
The car slid between two safety rails and over the mountain, totally air-born with a drop beneath of 1000ft.
As we came crashing onto the mountain several times,
I saw our luggage, glass, and parts of the car scattering everywhere.

I thought to myself:
‘We are not going to make it’.
We had already fallen about 500ft and we still had a long way to go.
I thought we were going to die.
Suddenly I relaxed and a tremendous peace swept over me.
Fear left and I turned to my friend and said, ‘I’ll see you up there. ‘
Abruptly the car stopped; how, I do not know?
We scrambled out of the back window.
I looked at the car and was horrified at the damage.
How did we get out alive?
All I could say was, ‘My car, my car.’

With bare feet we both climbed the mountain.
It was still snowing quite heavily; my head was bleeding.
I felt myself going in and out of consciousness.
I felt so cold, so awfully sick, and I ‘just wanted to die.’

Then I remembered Jesus.
So, on my hands and knees I crawled to the middle of the road, put my hands together and prayed, ‘Jesus, please send a car. ‘
I had no sooner prayed and he had answered.
The car that picked us up was the only other car caught in the storm.
No other cars could come up or down the mountain due to weather conditions as the road had to be completely closed off.

When we arrived home, I did not have a mark on my body, the snow being so cold that it drew out all the bruising.
It also stopped my head from bleeding.
And therefore, I had no need of stitches.

We had not been home long, when I was met with more bad news.
The father of the family I had lived with, died of a massive heart attack that same weekend.
And now, not only having lost a material thing, my car.
I had also lost a person.
It was really only through this experience that I learnt to appreciate life.
And to realise how precious people are:
they can never be replaced, but ‘things‘ can.

So now, ‘I do not store up for myself treasures on earth.
But I store up treasure in heaven.’

By Lorna Egar