On July 29, 2022 I received a new heart. Not just spiritually speaking, but a literal heart by way of a heart transplant. For over a decade I lived with Congestive Heart Failure and wore a pacemaker/defibrillator. But I would like to tell my testimony of how Jesus ALTARed me long before I received this life-saving procedure.
In February of 2011, I was lost and wanted nothing more than to die. I had gone through three divorces, couldn't keep a job, was broke, and felt like I was just a miserable disappointment to myself and everyone in my life. I wasn't sure if I was even saved anymore. I had fallen so far away from God and was such a failure in life that I had no hope for a good future. So, for months I prayed that God would just kill me and put me out of my misery. Well, He gave me the choice on February 4, 2011.
I was outside my girlfriends house smoking a cigarette when I began to cough. It was during a record-breaking freeze in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so I thought it may be bronchitis or some other issue. It didn't take long before I was coughing up blood and my girlfriend said "You are going to the hospital". I argued with her since the ice on the road seemed more dangerous than a little cough, but she was determined.
We made it to the hospital and they admitted me for pneumonia, but later that night at around 3am, they decided to do further tests. The doctor that was working the emergency room that night returned from the tests and asked me to call my family to come up to the hospital, because it was not pneumonia, it was my heart. They tried to remain calm, but I could tell it was serious. They said they needed to do some more tests, but my family needed to come back up to the hospital.
As they wheeled me to the ICU, I was thinking "if this is dying, it really isn't that bad". I knew that I would probably just pass out and never wake up. Then I heard a still small voice say "Well, John, do you want to stay or do you want to go." I had been praying for months for this opportunity and here it was! However, I felt like the Lord was encouraging me to stay and I felt like if I stayed He would be with me and give me a purpose.
So, after searching my soul, I said to God, "I would like to stay if that is alright with you", but then I added the three conditions. "I will stay if I can be remembered for something good, LIVE everyday not just be alive, and touch as many people as I can while I remain on earth." I heard a clear and loud "SO BE IT!" and it felt like if I could see into the spirit realm, I would see my Father dancing around the hospital bed.
I took well over an hour for the cardiologist to make it into the ICU to perform the cath procedure. He got right to it and showed me on the screen that I had one artery that was 100% blocked and one that was 95% blocked. I had suffered a massive heart attack and he wasn't sure if stents would work. I was confident at that point and told him to go ahead and do whatever he felt he should do. I was awake for the whole procedure and they were able to place stents. The hospital staff were crowded in an area behind glass watching to see if I would survive and when they saw the blood return to flowing they let out a cheer. It was one of the most moving moments of my life.
My heart was nearly 50% damaged from the heart attack and was nothing more than scar tissue. I lived that way for over 12 years. When I left the hospital, I married my girlfriend and felt confident for the first time that God had a purpose for my life. Within 6 months, with no money, no education, no outward support, I felt like God was leading me to build a business. At this point I had not even been promoted to manager anywhere, let alone start a business from scratch. The name of the business was The Good Contractors List. The favor the Lord gave me and the direction He gave me made The Good Contractors List flourish.
Since then He has directed me to start many ministries and step outside my comfort zone to do things that are not your normal Christian "business as usual" works. One of those works is building an apparel brand called The ALTARed Life! I struggled in the beginning, because I didn't want to make money on ministry related endeavors. He then said, The ALTARed Life is a business that shares my message, not a ministry asking for donations. Every dime that come into The ALTARed Life LLC is HIS money. We are hoping to finance and spearhead endeavors that will return the Church to the way it was in the book of Acts. One such website that we built is called www.FindAHouseChurch.com and it empowers people to do ministry from their homes and for those seeking a place to find fellowship.
So, when you purchase a t-shirt, you are not only opening the door to give your testimony to someone, you are helping fund the Kingdom through a business that is committed to follow Jesus. So, now you know my story and how Jesus took a broken lost failure and ALTARed him for eternity. Blessings!!
Below is a picture of my family! We have been so blessed, because Jesus paid the price for all my failures. I have been ALTARed and nothing will ever be the same. If you have an amazing testimony of how Jesus ALTARed you, then we would love to share it here on our blog. TELL US YOUR STORY!
