Learning from God – it’s not what you think

I was born in South Africa in 1957. My family were nominal Anglicans; it was a lovely home, but with no concept of God at all. 

In my final year of school, I met a girl called Lois whose parents were missionaries. She asked me: “What makes you a Christian?” I said: “I was born into a Christian family,” and she replied: “If you were born in a garage, would that make you a motor car?” 

It got me thinking. Lois also used to challenge me using the Lord’s name as a swear word. I was defensive at the time, but I watched the way she lived – and it had an impact.

My parents said I could have a year off after school. When they asked what I wanted to do I said: “I’d like to go to Bible college.” It was a spontaneous answer that took us all by surprise. 

They told me that I would never walk or use my right side again

I went to Bible college in Johannesburg, and was the top student, but still didn’t know Jesus personally. Afterwards, I decided I’d go into teaching. While I was studying at university in Durban, I made some wrong choices. The guy I had fallen in love with got another girl pregnant. I remember going into my room and switching on my tape recorder. I didn’t usually listen to Christian music but was deeply impacted by the words of a song by The Imperials: “Don’t give up. Try again. This time you can make it. Don’t you see all heaven wants you to win and gather all your courage together and make a final stand.” 

I spent time with the Lord all through the night. By about 5am, I knew that Jesus was my Lord and Saviour. 

God’s leading – and an unexpected accident

After university I taught for several years in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. Then I felt the Lord say: “I’m calling you into full-time Christian work.” I remember thinking: “I’m a single woman, I’m 23, what can I do?” 

By that time, I had got involved with a church that was seeing the most extraordinary things happen. The church grew from 60 to nearly 2,000 people within 18 months. The pastor of the church said: “How about you come on staff, oversee our worship and look at Christian education?” 

I worked there for four years, and it was incredible. But then a group of us went down to the coast for a weekend. There was a super tube, like a water flume. I was with two friends, big rugby guys, and we went down together. I was in the middle, between them, and the one in front went one way, and the guy who was behind me thought I was going to go the other way, but I didn’t. He had his legs up and shot them forward and hit me on the back of my head, knocking me out. 

I was in hospital for three months as I haemorrhaged on the brain, and they told me that I would never walk or use my right side again. I was totally paralysed down my right side. I was 27 years old and thought I would be in a wheelchair for life.

Wrestling and healing

I had had a sunny disposition most of my life, and knew I’d been born into privilege, but couldn’t tolerate people who I saw as weak. Now, suddenly, I was weak. I had a moment of thinking: “I don’t want to live anymore.”

God continued to give me Psalm 37:23-24: “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” I knew that he was asking me: “Will you look through the lens of eternity? If you never walk or run on this earth, do you believe you will in heaven?” And I said: “I believe I will.” As a result, a healing took place in my spirit. Though my mind, my will and my emotions had gone into very dark places, I felt the kindness of Jesus’ wraparound love bring me through.  

My physical healing took longer. There was an occasion when I was watching rugby with some friends, and one of them was massaging my paralysed foot. He grabbed my foot and prayed: “Lord, please won’t you heal Lynn.” As he prayed, I felt his hand on my foot! I told my neurosurgeon, who said: “Oh no, your mind was playing with you.” But I knew that wasn’t the case. Slowly but surely, God began to perform the miracle. After two years I started to walk again.

Receiving a template for life

The pastor of my church was invited to speak at a Bible week in Shepton Mallet, and said: “Lynn, you’re coming with us.” When we got to the UK, I was asked to sing. I decided to do Amy Grant’s song ‘El Shaddai’ but when I walked onto the stage, felt the Lord say: “I want you to sing prophetically. You can sing your song or you can sing my song; you choose, both would be fine.” I responded: “God I want to sing your song.” So I sang about the coastlands and the islands from Isaiah 24 and 42. I looked out at the auditorium of people on their knees. It was an intensely holy moment.

A couple there prophesied over me, saying: “You will travel the highways and byways of the UK and Europe.” I remember thinking: “I don’t want to move to England with all the rain!” Once back in South Africa, I felt the Lord giving me the template of what my life was going to look like. 

I said: “If you’re calling me back into ministry, these five things need to happen: mum and dad need to agree; the elders of my church need to say it’s a great idea; I need to be connected with a financial adviser; it will be confirmed by at least three other people; and my diary will be filled for the next year, without me approaching any churches.”

In the spate of a few months, everything on that list happened. I started traveling all over South Africa and was invited back to the UK. I eventually moved to Southampton in the mid 1990s and lived there for 18 years. 

Encountering crisis

I was part of the community church in Southampton and a group called CNET with an incredible team of men and women, including my dear friend Graham Cooke. Graham and I ran a number of worship and prophetic conferences together.

I said: “Lord, I’m in my 50s, I’m too old.” And the Lord very kindly said: “You’re at the right age now.”

Then some events left me reeling: the leader of CNET had an affair, my parents died within ten days of each other, and then the leader of my church in South Africa had an affair too. I came back to South Africa in 2001 and went through a bit of a crisis of faith – not about Jesus, but about the Church. But then the Lord said: “Lynn, do you love me?” I replied: “Absolutely, I love you.” He then asked: “Do you love my Church?” I said: “I can’t stand your Church. I think it’s the most dysfunctional, diabolical thing.” He responded: “Lynn, if you love me, you have to love my bride, and my bride is my Church.” Then he added: “I want you to go back to the UK.”

A fresh envisioning 

I was invited to Ivy Cottage, a church in Didsbury, Manchester, and became part of the eldership in the church and oversaw the worship. They allowed me to travel back to South Africa on occasions. I was doing a lot of work with NGOs in Cape Town and one morning, while there, I had this phrase come into my mind: “The regeneration of a city, the restoration of a nation and a revival of a continent.” I felt the Lord explain: “It’s about what you will do with your life.” I said: “Lord, I’m in my 50s, I’m too old.” And the Lord very kindly said: “You’re at the right age now.” That is how NewDay United was born.

NewDay United is based in Cape Town. We started it ten years ago, and work in the local community running both adult and kids’ programmes. We’ve seen over 100 people get jobs, and over 250 people give their lives to Jesus.

My life theme is: ‘The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.’ Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” It doesn’t say don’t have understanding, but not to lean on it. 

Life is an incredible adventure. I never married, but I got engaged twice. I’m single, but I’m not alone and am fully whole. 

There’s nothing wrong with retirement, but make every day count. It’s not about having accolades here on the earth. It’s about one day standing before Jesus, hearing him say: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Then life really begins. 

newdayunited.org