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View NewsletterChanged Lives...Football Star...Quadriplegic...Preacher
The Ray Anderson Story
My journey in coming to know God began when I was around fourteen. I don't know why but at this time I began to pray and read the bible. I also started contemplating about God and whether I should become a christian. I was drawn to the book of Mathew and especially to the scripture that states "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This verse sparked my interest and made me want to know more. As I read I came to the conclusion, that I would like to have Jesus as my Lord and savior but, I didn't know too much about the gift of God meaning salvation. At this time, my family and I started to attend church and I came to understand what salvation really meant and I asked Jesus into my heart. Unfortunately,because of an incident between the pastor and my family. We left the church,and my relationship with God was at a standstill.
Further on in my teens, I found myself involved in the world's ways through sex,sports, and occasionally marajiuana lying to cover up the truth. I was considered to be part of the "in crowd" and gained a reputation for playing football. I felt on top of the world. My whole world changed the morning of November 7 2002. My brothers and I were heading to school. We came around a bend, hit black ice sliding into on coming traffic and slamming into a truck, I couldn't move and I kept repeating I can't breathe, I can't breathe. I was full of fear. My brother Nathan was beside himself. While Terry was out of it. I knew something was terribly wrong. My neck had been broken paralyzing me from the neck down making me unable to breathe on my own.
I was immeditately air lifted to the hospital in hamilton. In the beginning my memories are quite vague due to the heavy medication. My first challenge was trying to comunicate with my family. My brother Nathan became my interpreter. Because I had a tube in my throat, I had to rely on mouthing my words to comunicate and Nate was the best at reading lips you'd swear he did this for a living. While I was in the hospital there were some nights that were especially hard from having pain and or anxiety. I would ask to be prayed for and this was how i would receive relief.
I think I denied that I was paralyzed and stayed in high spirits the majority of the time. Even though I was surrounded by people, I believe this came from God.
After a couple of months of treatment in ICU I was fit and ready for rehab in order to go home. What was supposed to be a couple of weeks of teaching turned into 12 days of horror almost claiming my life. Starting with mismanaging my ventilator care causing pneumonia to over medicating me putting me into a semicoma, I was in such poor condition that instead of going home I had to be transported back to the hospitalwhere I was stabilized.
It ended up that the ICU staff taught us all the precedures that we were required to know for me to be able to go home.I was soon discharged from the hospital and transfered home, to my long awaiting family. Finally home, I was initially overwhelmed with joy but within a short period of time, I became extremely depressed. I realized things weren't the same. spending time with my family was not the way it use to be -nothing was. I believe that this was the moment I finally accepted the fact that life was never going to be the same and that I may never walk again. With this realization, I felt an overwhelming sence of anger, rage and animosity towards everything including God. Then furiously I asked him "God why have you forsaken me? What have I done? what did I do to deserve this? I was a good person."
As time went on, I became bitter and filled up with jealously and envy toward my friends and family.They had the ability to pick up and go and do what they pleased. While I was confined to a bed or this chair. Also, having to rely on nurses and my family to take care of me, made me feel worthless. I soon found myself in periods of depression. I'd beat myself up whenever I dealt with any type of fustration or discomfort from not being able to move and any issue I was wrestling with that day.With nothing better to do, I listened to music day in and day out while dwelling in the past and how things used to be. For some time, I relied on music and past memories to try an avoid life and my situation or any other problems I was having. But I was soon to know how much I needed God.
It was May of 2004 when I received a late night phone call from one of my friends stating that they had been in a fight and that our best friend Rob had been stabbed.Jessie was very upset saying he had Robs blood all over him. In the midst of our conversation in shock myself I was trying to grasp what was happening.After hearing the news I wanted to jump up and go to him but my situation didn't allow me to do so. In the mean time we had called and were told he had been transfered and was in stable condition so I was able to some what be at ease.
Laying there for a while still in shock and disbelief. I thought about Rob and my friends who witnessed the whole ordeal, untill I fell asleep. The next morning I woke up to my family that informed me that Rob had passed away. I was blown away not knowing what to do.
I just avoided life and my situation. There was no way to prepare myself for something like that. I felt my only hope of relief or chance of peace was to neglect my feelings and go on with my life. I put God on the back burner keeping a smile on my face for my friends and family. My soul was empty and lost, untill one day God came to me in the form of a book. The purpose Driven Life. One of the points the author made was that, I wasn't an accident. What I got from this was. God allows certain things to happen for a reason for instance my accident.Though it has brought me a lot of suffering and auguish,it has also been a blessing in disguise. Because I believe if my accident had never taken place,I would probably still be with the world and its ways, pretty much handing my soul to Satan.
As a result of my accident,I ended up meeting Julie,coming to New Hope Church,getting to know Pastor Thom and starting a small group and bible study with David and Sarah. All these things and people have taught me so much about Jesus and why I need him in my life. I've learned Jesus is my mediator with God. Jesus said that it is through him that we come to the father. I know the sacrifice that Jesus made for me when he came to earth and allowed himself to be crucified so that my sins could be forgiven.His death was the price that had to be paid for my sins. Not only that, but, then he went to hell, fought the devil, took the keys from hell and rose again defeating death so that someday I could do the same and spend eternity with him in heaven.
This gives me so much hope. I know if I do not receive healing here that I will have a new body in heaven that will even be better than the one I had before the accident. Besides praising God who knows what we well be able to do in heaven, hopefully fly.
Jesus came to earth and lived as a human,I know that he knows how I feel when no one else does and this comforts me. When I am suffering, I remember how much he suffered and that reassures me. I invited Jesus into my heart a long time ago but every day my relationship with him grows closer and stonger as I spend time with him and come to know him better. Still till this day he lives in me.
I've learned that people come to realize their need for God through situatations, problems, tough experiences and trials and tribulation. I'm thankful for my problems, because it is through your problems and weakness that you come to God and realize your need for him.
As my relationship with God grows I find myself to be more at peace, less fustrated, happier and better able to deal with my problems. I try to read the bible everyday and it has made me more knowledgable in Gods ways in spite of my condition I still have my spiritual battles and the bible has taught me about Gods armor so i am better equipped to fight.
I take comfort in the word of God and knowing I am going to heaven
I've come to trust God and have given my life to him. I look to him to steer me in the right paths. The Bible says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
I'm grateful that he saved my life and gave me a second chance. I now have a new gratitude for life.
God has given me strength to cope and deal with the day to day problems, issues, fustrations, challenges trials and tribulations. For it is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect Psalm 18:32.
He is my security, my refuge, my safe place and the verse I hold on to is The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalms 18:2)and some other verses that strenghten me and reassures me most importantly, he has a purpose for my life which he is helping me to realize.
It's been 10 months since I presented my testimony.
I believe my purpose is to individually bring people to Jesus. Would you have any advice? Also, my hame is Raymond Anderson would you be able to pray for me?
Including God these are a few people I would like to thank.
First would be God for saving my life and giving me a second chance.
Next Jesus for dying for my sins.
My friends and family for being there for me and with me.
Pastor Thom and Julie Horrocks for being the tool that brought me to God.
Dave and Sarah for being true friends and my Christian family.
Allister for being the first testimony I witnessed which made me consider presenting my own.
My brothers and sisters for sticking it out and my Auntie for being the foundation of my faith.
I ask you to please pray for my family.
Thank you everyone for reading, God bless.
Ray.