Lydia Baxter

I feel I have been so slow in praising God for what He has done for me. I am so glad that way back in 1920, my folks received an Apostolic Faith paper in Pennsylvania. I was just a small child at the time, and my folks were looking for the way that was the right way. God brought a paper into their mailbox, and when they read it, they said, “This is what we are looking for.”

I thank God I was brought up in a Christian home. I am thankful that I have been taught the Word of God, and am grateful for a Christian heritage and for parents that brought us up to honor God.

I remember as a child that no gossip was allowed in our home. Our parents told us to turn our eyes inward for we had plenty to take care of there. It stayed with me and taught me to be careful of what I said.

They sold everything they had in the dead of winter, and came out here to Portland, Oregon. They had eight children, and we were all small, but God took care of us. As I look back on it, I am glad my folks obeyed God’s call. I wanted to give Him my life as never before.

From a little child I wanted to serve the Lord with all my heart. He did not forsake me. He saw my heart, and after a few years of drifting as young people often do, the Lord brought me back into the fold. I thank Him for everything, even the days of trials. I had first told Him: “I don’t want them”, but finally I came to the place where I said, “Lord, I will trust you,” and the Lord helped me and strengthened me. I thank Him that my anchor holds.

I wanted to give Him my life as never before.

A few years ago I had bursitis. I could hardly sleep. I was awake night and day and suffered such pain. One day my little girl came in and said, “Mother, don’t give up, God is going to heal you.” And God did heal me instantly.

Many times when I was sick, the Lord healed me instantly. When I was younger and my children were small, I couldn’t care for them like I wanted to, as my back would go out of place. So I started to go to a chiropractor, thinking perhaps it would help. But one day I said, “It feels good about one hour, and then it is right back where it started.” My little girl said, “Mother, why don’t you pray?” That rebuked me and I did pray, and the Lord instantly healed me. How I praise Him!

I thank God for those milestones in my life. In the trials and the sorrows, God has been there. And I have been thinking lately, “How do we know, but that we might have to be martyred?” It brought to my mind the countless numbers who were martyred for their faith. I ask the Lord to give me the grace if it should come to that, that I will stand true.

God has done so many things for us. Just last winter when our child was dying, God gave me the faith to hold on for her healing. I thank the Lord that we were not trusting the doctors or surgery, but we looked to Him, and He gave us a promise and we hung onto it. I said, “God, You can open the door; I can’t open it, but I know You can.” They called me the next morning from the hospital and said, “Your child doesn’t have to have surgery, your child is well! You can come and get her.” Oh, I’m thankful we held onto God, and didn’t have to lean on the arm of flesh. Thank God for all He has done for me!