Stories (Neill Hudson) - January 2019 Blog

Neill Hudson wrote to National Office to explain how his faith was restored.

“I am a 50-year-old Christian who used to work for the Salvation Army. I had just got married, and like most young families we were finding things tough financially. I left the Salvation Army employment and as things became more difficult, the more hours I would work. Eventually, I found myself working seven days a week just to keep our heads above water. A few years came and went. I worked what seemed like incredibly long hours and saw less and less of my family, and I missed them as much as I know they missed me. I became incredibly tired and eventually went to see the family doctor who took some blood tests. The following morning I received a phone call telling me I had late-onset type 1 diabetes. I was shocked but not particularly surprised by the diagnosis as all my family had been diagnosed with the same condition. But I not only walked away from the Lord but I committed one of the worst sins I could: I led my family away from the Lord also. In September 2017 I was admitted to Cheltenham General Hospital where I had my left leg amputated below the knee. The next day I was in my wheelchair feeling sorry for myself, packing my belongings away in my locker when I found a New Testament & Psalms placed by The Gideons. I let it fall open and you hear of people having these
wonderful epiphanies but there it was! Psalm 46, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

What a foolish man I had been. I tried leading my family when all I needed to do was leave it with the Lord. I’ve done that tonight in my hospital bed. I rang my wife and we prayed together on the phone and we are going to go back to church.

Things are still quite tough but I am excited after rededicating my life to the Lord.”