I was hit by a car

My name is Carolyn Jean Combs Sneed. I am no one extremely special, but I am a child of the most high God. My husband Bill and I became born again Christians at the dining room table of our best friends. That day was the beginning of a wonderful relationship with our Savior. We all rejoiced and our friends told us that God's hand is on us now. But I believe God's hand was on me long before that cool day in October of 1987. I believe God's hand was on me before I was born. My mother and father were James Combs and Irene (Gates) Combs.

They were two people who were physically and mentally abused by their family and the people who were in charge of them. Their strong desire for love steered them in each other's direction. They married October 8, 1947 and immediately tried to start a family. But after years of no success, the doctors told my parents that they both were physically incapable of conceiving a child. My mother's pelvis was fused together in such a way that conceiving and delivering a child was impossible. Having a child would be dangerous for her and the baby. They considered adopting, but for various reasons that didn't word out. God had other plans. After nine years of giving up hope of ever having her own children, my mother became quite ill. The doctors surprised them with the news that she was pregnant. My mother carried me for nine months with no complications. I was delivered by C-section on February 8, 1956. Soon after my birth, my mother became ill and the family thought she was going to die, but God had other plans.

I grew up with parents who poured lots of love on me. I never needed a thing. My parents did not fit the standard profile of people who were abused as kids, (people who were abused as children will abuse theirs). My father spanked me once and he cried more than me. My mother was the disciplinarian. Just one look from mum and you knew to stop what you were doing, but she always disciplined with love and she never went anywhere without me. They both tried to shelter me from anyone or anything that might cause me any harm.

On December 10, 1969, I was hit by a car. The nuns and students told us that I was thrown thirty or forty feet from the school and landed in front of the church. As I was flying through the air it seemed as though someone or something was carrying me. I remember landing softly as if I was floating to the ground. I remember looking at my badly twisted limbs and the bone sticking out of one of my legs. My arm was broken to the point that the back of my fingers were pointing to the back of my elbow, but I felt no pain. It was several hours before I felt any pain. It seemed like someone was always with me when the pain hit and it only stayed for a brief period of time. The doctors informed my parents that I would never walk again, but mom knew from experience, that you can't take a doctor's word for gospel. She stated that God had other plans. One day mum woke up from a dream where she was told that I would walk. She woke me up, gave me a steel walker and told me to get up and walk towards her. I thought my mother had lost her mind. She wanted me to walk on two casts that reached up to my thighs and she wanted me to walk with this thing. "No way", I said, "I will fall". She said, "God said you will walk, so walk." I never disobeyed my mom. If she said to do something, you did it. I learned from experience that you don't question the lady. With fear in my heart, I took that walker and took a couple of steps toward my mum, and I have been walking ever since. The prayers of a mom can accomplish much. My rehabilitation took two long and hard years, but by the grace of God we got through it. As I look back on that time, I didn't know God or the Holy Spirit, but they were with us all the time. Fourteen years later in the summer of '83, I became quite ill and the doctors didn't know what was wrong.

I went through a battery of tests for two weeks and the only conclusion they came up with was to do exploratory surgery. My husband was scared that he was going to lose his wife and the mother of his two very small children. I was afraid too, but whenever fear or depression tried to take over me something or someone would come in and the feeling would go away. All my doctors were great. They were very honest with me because they admitted they didn't know what was going on with my body and were a little afraid of what they might find. Not too many doctors out there will ever admit that they don't know something. Mom told me years later that she had made a deal with God. She told Him that He had gotten me through a lot of things and she was thankful to Him, but if He got me through this, she would devote the rest of her life to Him in somebody's church. I believe He agreed, I'm still here. Praise the Lord! God had other plans.

From November of 1990 to March of 1993, I took care of my parents until they left here to be with the Lord. Those three years were the hardest years of my life. You see, I watched both of my parents die slowly before my eyes. I saw the strength leave the bodies I was accustomed to relying on for so many years. Now it was my turn for them to lean on me. And I did it with pleasure, because it was the least I could do for the two people who gave me so much of themselves.

As they both grew weak from their illnesses, I saw their love for each other grow leap and bounds. Their love reached heights they didn't think was possible. I tried to spend as much time with them as possible during this time. For many years through holidays, birthdays and anniversaries it was always just the three of us. Although my children and husband were with us, many times it was just the three of us. I know someday we will be together again, you see, both of my parents accepted Christ as their Savior before they left here. God had put so much of His love in us that it came pouring out of my dad. You might say our love pushed him into His Savior's arms without us saying a word. I miss them a lot, but I get great comfort in knowing that we will sit at the bridegroom's table together at that great celebration with the Lord. During this time a revelation came to me, that you don't have to preach to loved ones about the Lord. If you have truly accepted God as your Savior your family and friends will notice the changes in your speech, your attitude, and even your smile. When one becomes saved it's not necessary to get on your soapbox and start preaching with the few scriptures you remembered. Use Christ as a perfect example. Just talk to them in plain and simple words.

This worked with my dad. He saw Christ in our actions towards him. God had His plans. Sometimes I think He kept me here as a way for my parents and the rest of my family to get to know Him. I believe that God saves one family member to reach the others. You could be that person. You could be the key to you and your family getting an invitation to sit at the bridegroom's table for that great celebration. It's not hard, you can sit, stand, kneel or lay down, it doesn't matter. You can be alone or with a friend, in any case the Holy Spirit is there to hear you. All you do is repeat these words: Father I am a sinner in need of a Savior and only you can save me. I turn away from all my sins and totally submit my life to you. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross and shed His blood to pay for my sins and that on the third day He rose again and is seated at your right hand. Lord Jesus come into my life and I will be saved according to your word.
Thank You Lord For Saving Me! If you repeated the words and mean it with all your heart, you are saved! Praise the Lord. Your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and ALL of your sins are forgiven. May the Lord bless you and your family!!!!!!!!!
IN MEMORIAM

Carolyn Jean Combs Sneed