Forgiveness has power to heal
When keen cyclist Adam McKay was hit by a car, his life was shattered. But he now knows the power of forgiveness and shares his story through Lutheran Media.
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Fifteen years ago I had my own business called Adam the First Gardener. I loved riding my bike, so I would ride to work. I pulled 250 kilos of horticulture tools behind my pushbike!
Then on 15 January 2003, I was hit by a car.
My life was shattered. I was in a coma for eight days. I had full memory loss, an internal head injury and a knee injury. They had to teach me how to use my hands again, how to build up my strength, my balance, everything.
I was in a wheelchair in hospital and people didn’t think I would walk again. I was angry. I said I wanted to be left alone, so they wheeled me over to a corner. But I was really ‘agro’ and punched a brick out of a wall!
I think that was the first step to forgiveness.
Five fellow Christians came and prayed for me. Someone said afterwards that I’d have to forgive the driver who hit me. I had to work on it with God’s and my family’s help and a lot of counselling. I was still in my wheelchair but as soon as I forgave the driver, things started happening.
Just 10 days later I was walking around the bed. When you’re sitting in a wheelchair and suddenly you stand up and you’re walking 10 days later – that’s not my strength, that was God’s.
Thanks to God, instead of what should have been 18 months in hospital, I spent two.
God used what I went through and I’ve since talked about it at my church and been interviewed by Lutheran Media and helped many people.
These days I’m never allowed back on a pushbike and I can’t have a driver’s licence because of my injuries. But I’ve restarted my business. I write poetry and songs, and my new challenge is learning the harmonica. So I’m still challenging myself.
After all I’ve been through, I know you’ve got to be one and quiet with the Lord and let him fill you with his Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit you need to be able to forgive people. You’ve got to give it all to God. I try to wake up each day and say, ‘God, this is your day’.
To watch or hear Adam’s story through Lutheran Media,
go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eterkSsWBZo&t=23s
and http://www.messagesofhope.org.au/adams-anger/
Read the full Story of the Week in The Lutheran. Full colour, 32 pages. 11 editions/year. Only $44 (Aust), $46 (NZ). Gift subscriptions available. To subscribe: online www.thelutheran.com.au email lutheran.subs@lca.org.au phone 08 8360 7270
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