IT WAS A MIRACLE I SURVIVED My name is Lynette Smith. When I was young I always believed in God but He seemed so far away. As I grew into my teens I made a lot of bad decisions. At high school I started smoking, which progressed to smoking pot and drinking too much at parties, even a bit of stealing trying to be cool and fit in with my friends. One night I made one of those bad decisions which was to completely change my life ... I went to a party without my parents’ permission - I was 15 years old.

On the way home I piled into a car with 10 other teenagers The driver lost control on a corner, he had been drinking and was driving up to 160 km per hour. The car hit a power pole then a bank and was airborne for 40 metres before it came to a halt by crashing into another power pole. Only two of the 11 teenagers were left in the car, one of whom was killed instantly. The others were thrown from the vehicle. I ended up in the middle of the road. Moments later a car approached and the driver, sensing something was wrong, swerved off the road to avoid running over me.

I lay on the road with a broken neck, three breaks in my pelvis, a broken collar bone, a cracked rib, two breaks in my jaw, smashed teeth, my chin cut open to the inside of my mouth and gravel crushed into the skin on my legs. I was unconscious for three days and stayed in hospital for 2½ months, losing 2 stone in weight. 

Coming close to death was terrifying. I didn’t want to die. God’s grace kept me alive. 

When I left hospital my life had changed. I had constant pain in my neck and back and got cramps in my hand. My pelvis clicked as I walked; I lived on pain-killers and was smoking a lot of marijuana in an effort to alleviate the continual pain. I was advised by doctors not to play any sport because if I banged my neck I risked being paralysed or even dying. I was also told I would not be able to give birth naturally because of my damaged pelvis. I had a lot of fear in me and silently prayed whenever I was scared. I remember going to bed one night and looking up at the stars. I called out to God wanting to know why this had happened to me and for the first time really wanting His help, His forgiveness and His love. An amazing sense of peace came over me and I started to speak a lot of strange words I didn’t understand. I didn’t know what to do about this experience so shelved it away. Five years later I learned I had received the Holy Spirit that night and had spoken in another language, called tongues. 

I tried to live my life as best I could. I got a job I was happy with, hung out with my friends, continued smoking pot and partying. I was thankful to be alive but despite the attempts to fill myself up, deep down there was always a sense of emptiness. 

One day I met a group of Christians who told me about miracles of healing, forgiveness, being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit. They said the Holy Spirit could come and live inside me and be my Comforter. I was really touched by these words and I could see that these people seemed to have a real relationship with Jesus. It all made sense and seemed so simple. They invited me to a meeting the next day 

When I arrived I felt like I had come home — the warmth and love was so real. I read the scriptures in the Bible and listened intently to the message. I discovered all the answers to life I had been looking for were in the Bible. I could clearly see I had to change my life to be right with God. Eventually I decided I needed to be baptized by being fully immersed in water and hand over my old life to God and start afresh. I wanted to be forgiven for all the things I had done in my life and I believed that God would work a miracle with my broken body.

That was the best decision I ever made in my life. When I was baptized I felt amazingly clean inside and as if a heavy load had been lifted from my shoulders. I spoke out in tongues again and felt a strong tingling right through my body. An amazing sense of peace came over me. I was instantly healed at that moment, my pelvis stopped clicking, my bones seemed strong, and I had the biggest smile on my face that wouldn’t go away! I knew my life had completely changed from that moment. I lost the desire to drink alcohol, I instantly stopped swearing and stealing and felt a new purpose to my life. I wanted to give instead of take. God was changing and moulding me into the person he wanted me to be. Some other old habits took a little longer to die but God showed me that I didn’t need to get stoned any more and I soon lost my addiction to smoking cigarettes. I started to put my trust in God each day and to pray in this new spiritual language I had received which gave me inner strength and guidance. I got a job as a nurse-aid which involved heavy lifting but experienced no problems with my back or neck. Then I got a job selling clothes door-to-door lifting eight large suitcases in and out of my car and also played netball. My body was strong again. 

A few years later God blessed me with a loving Christian husband, and two beautiful children, both delivered naturally.

During my first pregnancy I discovered I had cancer cells on my cervix and would need treatment after my baby was born. I trusted God that I would be healed and when my son was born the cancer cells were flushed out. I was completely healed. That was more than 17 years ago.

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