Testimony of Bro. Raymond Bland (09/09/2001)

A Truck Driver’s Illness on the Road

This morning, I've asked Brother Raymond Bland to come and give a testimony of something the Lord has done in his life, the way the Lord's ministered to him. I've heard a little bit of the story, but I told him I didn't want to hear all of it.

I wanted to hear it from here, and same time you get to hear it. So Raymond, would you come up, take a few moments, and share this with us?

Good morning out there this morning. I'd like to bring you a story here that I know to be a true story because this story happened to me, and I hope it has an impact on someone's life. Recently I had a little surgery on a Wednesday, and I got away from the hospital and I went home and was off, and I felt good on Friday, so I called my office and they gave me a load.

I'm a long haul truck driver. They gave me a load going to Ontario, California, which is basically a suburb of Los Angeles. I had to be there at 9 o 'clock Sunday night, so I decided to leave early Friday morning.

I went to bed Friday night and did not sleep at all, which every once in a while for a truck driver, this is not unusual. This happens quite often. So I got up the next morning, and I went to Dallas, and I picked up my load of freight, and I started in California.

As I was going across West Texas, I got out around El Paso, and I called my wife on the phone and told her that I was feeling kind of sick. I felt like I was catching a cold or asthma was bothering me going out across the desert, but I wasn't worried about this.

And I drove a little further, and before I got across New Mexico, I was really sick. I thought I was catching a real severe case of flu. This is all the symptoms it had. So I continued on toward California, and I spent the night in Arizona and didn't sleep any that night at all.

I was really miserably sick, and did not sleep any at all. So I got up the next morning about 6 o 'clock, and I headed on to California. And I drove all day, and I finally got to Ontario, California about 4 o 'clock that afternoon.

So I was going to call the company and tell them the situation and see if I could unload early. I hadn't unloaded 9 o 'clock then, mine, which was 11 o 'clock our time, to see if I could unload my load early to where I could go to the truck stop and take me some medication and go to sleep.

Well, I got to the place, and they did not open until 9 o 'clock. So I stayed around there and met up with another one of our drivers going to the same location. And he knew I was sick. So finally they came, and I got my load off.

And I went down. It was too late in the morning. It was about 2 o 'clock in the morning by the time I got unloaded. And I knew I couldn't take any medication because medication shows up in a drug test if you get stopped on the highway, and you can go to jail for it.

So I didn't take any medication. We went back to the truck stop this morning, and didn't sleep that night either. We went back to the truck stop about 7 o 'clock and got some coffee, and I couldn't run my coffee.

And I decided I needed something to eat. I hadn't eaten. So I got me a bowl. They had some soup left over. I got a bowl of soup, and I couldn't eat it. So we sat there that day, and they finally got me a load at 12 o 'clock our time.

And so I went down in L .A. to pick the load up. But the load was not there. It wouldn't be there until about 2 o 'clock. So I laid down in my truck, and I managed to sleep for about 2 hours. They came and woke me up.

And I got my load. I had to go count the merchandise as it was loaded. So I sit in a chair, and I felt a little better. A little cool breeze blowing through the door, and I felt a little better. And I was real sweaty, just like from the flu.

And I thought I had sweated and flew out, and I was going to get better. And I counted the load, and then I started back. And I drove from L .A. about halfway to the Arizona line, and stopped at a cafe to order me some soup.

I was real hungry. Well, I couldn't eat the soup. It just didn't taste good. And they had a little small steak on, so I ordered the steak. And I managed to eat it. That was all I had to eat. Still no sleep.

So I started on the crawl, and I got on across New Mexico. And I called Sharon. I told her that when I got to Andrews, Texas, that's a little old town inside of Texas line there at El Paso, that I was going to take some NyQuil, and I was going to bed.

And if I hadn't called her by 10 o 'clock that night, she was to call the police and have them come and check my truck. That's how sick I was. Still thinking I had the flu. Anyway, I got there, and it seemed like I felt just a little better.

And I still had a few hours to drive on my load. So I came on across. I said, I'll stop on across Texas there and get some rest, take my NyQuil and get some rest. And I came on across. And I got over to Van Horn and fuel.

And, well, it seemed like I was revived just a little bit, so I didn't take it there. So I came on to Sisco, Texas. I hadn't had but two hours sleep in all this time from Friday morning until Wednesday night.

And I got to Sisco, Texas and laid down at 8 .30. I drank about a half a bottle of NyQuil. And I managed to go to sleep. Well, it didn't last long. I woke up at 1 .30 in the morning and sat up on the bed.

An Angel in the Truck

I didn't feel anything. No pain. I wasn't sick. While I was sitting on my bed, in the end of my truck, I saw my angel. My angel looked like a small child. He was dressed in white. And he had on clothes that looked like you would see on the Vietnamese, straight cut, long sleeve.

I couldn't see any hands or feet. I could only see his face. He was very bright and he was very happy. He had the most happiest face I've ever seen. How big he actually was, I really don't know, because I got off my bunk and I went toward him.

Now, my truck is not but eight foot wide. But it seemed like I walked a long ways and he got bigger the closer I got to him. I can't say how big he was. And behind him I could see people walking. They were walking on an incline upward.

And I knew where these people were going. And I knew I needed to be in that line. My angel wouldn't let me. He'd shake his head and I'd go back and sit down. And I sat there for a little while and I got up to go get in that line again.

And my angel wouldn't let me. And I actually was getting mad at my angel because he would not let me go. This happened three times and he wouldn't let me go. So I sat on my bunk and finally knew that I needed to see a doctor and I needed to come on home.

I should have went to the hospital there. But anyway, I got dressed. And when I tied my shoelaces, he left. I guess he knew that I was going to get on the road. I got out of my truck to go get some coffee.

And when I stepped out of the truck, I fell down. I was that weak. Two police officers in the parking lot patrolling asked me had I been drinking. I told them no, I was sick. And they asked me did I need any help.

I said no, if I can make it in the truck stop, I'll be all right. But if I can't, I'm going to get back in my truck. But I managed to get in the truck stop and got me some orange juice. And I came back out.

And I got in the truck and I started home. And I drove all the way home. I got in at 2 o 'clock that evening. And when Sharon and my oldest son met me before I was going to park, I couldn't get out of my truck at all.

I was too weak. They had to help me out of the truck. And I finally got to the hospital. And I had pneumonia, asthma, emphysema, all at one time. I didn't know I had asthma at all. My throat was completely closed.

But I could not swallow water. I had to put it in my mouth. And it would just have to trickle down. I couldn't swallow asthma. And it took me three days. And what should normally one dose of medication to cure what I had, it took two full doses to cure me.

A Guardian Angel, Heaven, and the Lord’s Protection

And what I would like to say, that everyone has an angel. And the Lord just wasn't ready for me in heaven. He has something for me still to do on this earth. And He'll let me know when to do it. But one thing I know for sure in my heart, where I am going, the day the Lord calls me.

And I would just love each one of you to understand that you have an angel. And there is a heaven. I didn't see it, but I saw the people going in that direction. I know this was not from Satan, because Satan would have not stopped me.

He would have took me on to the grave. This had to be the Lord turning me back. And this angel was from the Lord. So you do have a guardian angel, each and every one of you. And I want you to know that.

And this is a true story. And I'm glad to be able to tell it to you today. I've been looking forward to it. And I thank you for listening. And I thank you for your prayers while I'm on the road.