Ominous News Befalls, Bringing Me Unbearable Pain

“Where is your younger brother? I haven’t seen him for a few days and I can’t get through his phone either.” I asked my eldest son after dinner, feeling something must be wrong. He hesitated and said heavily: “Mom, Xiao Wei was involved in a car accident and he had been hospitalized for rescuing since last week. I didn’t inform you because I’m afraid you will be hit hard by it …” All of a sudden, I felt like it was the end of the world. I sat slumped in the chair, speechless. Seeing I had a breakdown, my eldest son comforted me right away: “Mom, take good care of yourself …” I didn’t hear clearly what he said, but only wanted to see my younger son soon.

I thought: Now I’m already 72 years old. I worked very hard when I was young and now I am aching all over my body. I once sought many famous doctors but all were unsuccessful. After years of pain and suffering, I no longer hold any extravagant hope on life. All I want is to live peacefully for the rest of my life. But I don’t expect my younger son to be involved in a car accident. If anything really goes wrong, how am I going to continue my life!

At the hospital, I saw my son was unconscious and his head was swollen like a melon because he had just had a bilateral craniotomy. He had fever of 102°F and was surrounded by ice cubes to cool him down. When looking at him, my legs were soft. I thought: My son is already in this state, will he wake up ever again? If he wakes up, can he still live like a normal person? How will he and his family live in the future? What about my grandson and granddaughter? I was so miserable that I burst into tears of sorrow. All the people in the ward also shed tears when they saw I was crying and my son on the bed with tubes all over his body, on the verge of his death.

After a month of rescuing, my son finally woke up, but he couldn’t recognize anyone, nor could he speak or move. In the end, the doctor said helplessly: “That’s the best we can do. Go back home and let him slowly recover.” After hearing what the doctor said, I thought: “Since the doctor has already said so, my son probably can never recover back to normal again. He is done for!” After I took my son back home, I often cried when thinking of the life in the future.

My daughter-in-law had to work to raise their children, so the burden of taking care of my son had to pass down to me and my husband. In order for my son to recover faster, I sent him to hospital for brain rehabilitation therapy everyday. I also cooked different types of porridge to feed him, because he couldn’t eat and swallow by himself. The porridge was often wasted. However, I did not give up. I still took good care of him, hoping one day miracles would happen. After a period of time, my son gained a little consciousness, and his limbs could also move a little. My husband and I held him to walk slowly, but his brain couldn’t control his actions. He often hit my head inadvertently. When my daughter-in-law came back home after work, he would also drag her hair and hit her head. She lived in pain as she had to pay for one hundred thousand of foreign debts, the medical fees they owed, and also had to suffer her husband’s reasonless torture. She asked for a divorce several times. In the end she just went to live in the factory and didn’t want to come back again. Looking at this scene, not only did I worry for my son’s condition, I also worried my grandson and granddaughter’s life without parents. I thought: I’m already so old now, how will they live once I’m gone?

Receiving God’s Care on the Verge of Despair

In March, 2012, one of my relatives came to persuade me: “Sis, your family is in such big trouble. Your son is still sick and you also have illness, so let’s believe in God. God is the Creator of all things. He administrates the universe and presides over the fate of all mankind. So if we truly believe in God, God will help us through adversity.” I thought to myself: Things have gone this far, what else can I expect … I was absent-minded while listening to my relative talking about belief in God. I thought it was vague. All I was thinking was my seriously-ill son. I did not take her words into account. After four or five days, I didn’t expect my relative to visit me again. She said: “The Lord Jesus says ‘Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). You see how helpless and painful we are living without God’s blessings. God is our only reliance. Only if we come before God will we obtain peace and assuredness in our hearts …” Her words affected me a little and I thought: Does God really have such big power? Can He really save me from my misery? Pathetic and helpless, I decided to grab onto this only hope.

Afterward, I would always have gatherings with brothers and sisters when I was free. We often pray and sing hymns to praise God. For the first few times when I had gatherings, I was worried about my son sitting alone in the yard, afraid that whether he would fall, so my heart was always not in peace. Then a sister fellowshiped to me: “We have just believed in God and we have yet truly experienced God’s sovereignty, so we have no true faith in God. God says: ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes’ (Mark 9:23). God is almighty. Anyone or anything is all in God’s hands. We should just entrust Xiao Wei to God’s hands, believe in God and rely on God, then we’ll see the fact that God rules over all things …” After hearing what the sister had said, I tried not to think too much and calmed my heart down to listen to God’s words the sister was reading. After gathering, I went to the yard to take a look, and I saw my son indeed sitting on the chair safe and sound. I felt a little excited and thought: God is really protecting my son. After a few times of experiencing this, I had some faith in God gradually.

Silently Prayed, Miracle Happened

One time, I saw God’s words say: “And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive” (Matthew 21:22). Thinking since I believed in God, my son’s illness was really getting better. It seemed God’s words are reliable. Afterward, I always prayed for my son and entrusted him to God’s hands. I hoped miracles could happen. In the meantime, I still took care of him day and night. One day I was having gathering upstairs and suddenly my son came up to me. I was surprised but glad at the same time. I asked hastily: “How did you come up here by yourself? Aren’t you scared of falling down?” He replied: “Don’t worry!” Then he went down. I was deeply moved and thought: I didn’t completely believe in God when sisters first spread the gospel to me, but as my son’s illness is getting better each day, I can tell that is all God’s wondrous deed! God’s words are so true and powerful! What was more unbelievable was that he was slowly able to eat, he also became more clear-headed. Everyone in my family was overjoyed and I was even more excited to tears. I truly felt God is my only reliance. I should just entrust my son to God with reassurance and read God’s words and live the church life with peace of mind. Later, my son fully restored his memories; his stiffed limbs were also able to move freely; he even learned how to ride electric bicycle. Watching these scenes, I was overwhelmed. I thought: The true God is in fact around us, being our reliance whenever we need. At this moment, I couldn’t help but thank and praise God from the bottom of my heart.

Soon after, my son cycled to the hospital by himself for his post-surgery check-up. He returned and told me that the doctor couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw him. He held my son’s hands and brought him to other doctors and patients excitedly and said in amazement: “Miracle! It is truly a miracle! We did not expect this patient to recover so well, it’s amazing!” After hearing his words, I thanked God uncontrollably: It is all because of the power of God’s words and authority and God’s mercy and protection that my son can recover speedily! I recalled the doctor asserted that my son would be in a vegetative state when he was carrying out the operation. If not for God’s mercy on me, my son’s condition would have been worse and I did not know how long I would have lasted taking care of him. God used the sister to spread the gospel to me and brought me before Him. By reading God’s words and listening to brothers and sisters’ fellowship, I learned to rely on God. These were all God’s mercy. I really thank God for His salvation that befell on me miraculously, which allowed me to see His power and experience His love for human. Later, my daughter-in-law also moved back home as my son was slowly recovering. Our family became harmonious as ever. At this moment, my faith in God increased more. I’m determined to be a good believer in God and follow God properly.

Riddled With Illness, Miracles Happened Again

I spent all my energy and strength in taking care and accompanying my son, and I worked tirelessly even though I had a weak body, as a result, I was sick. On September 2013, because of overworking, I suffered heart failure and was sent to the hospital. The doctor said I had a diagnosis of coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation and premature atrial contraction. He required me to be hospitalized for further observations. Afterward, my younger sister also suffered heart disease and was in the same hospital as me. Her mental condition was better so she would always come downstairs to visit me. One day, she came down to have a chat with me. Just as she was heading back, suddenly she had a seizure. She was failed to be rescued and finally announced dead. When I was grief-stricken, I started to worry for myself: My sister was still young but she couldn’t survive her illness. Would I be the same as her sooner or later? At this moment, I recalled what was read by brothers and sisters when gathering: “And Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief: for truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20). God is almighty. He rules over and controls our fate. My son’s fate is in God’s sovereignty, isn’t mine either? God’s words are most reliable, I should entrust everything to God and submit to His arrangements. Hence, I prayed to God about all my fear and timidity. After praying I was calm and did not feel as afraid as before.

Afterward, I had heart stent surgery. After my condition was stable, the doctor advised me to do an atrial fibrillation surgery to decrease the frequency of my illness. I thought: I’m already in my seventies. The medical bills are expensive as well. So I decided not to do the surgery but entrust my life to God. Instead, after discharge, I got better day by day.

I recalled what the Lord Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Today I have believed in God and witnessed numerous times: Believe in God’s words and there will be miracles happening in our life! God’s words are like a lamp, lighting up the direction for me, and giving me the faith and courage to live on. Afterward, I often pray to God: “O God! Although my body suffered, I saw the power of your words again. I’m willing to model myself after Job. I will not complain about You whether I could be cured. I’m willing to submit to Your sovereignty and arrangements.”

Enjoying God’s Words, Bathing in God’s Love

Afterward, brothers and sisters would always come to visit me. We read God’s words together and shared about our knowledge and understanding. Although I still had to take medicine, sometimes I also felt uncomfortable and flustered, deep inside my heart I was calm and peaceful. I was not afraid of death anymore. Under God’s care and protection, my body recovered well. Now, I’m full of energy. I can cook, do house chores and work in the field. Although I did not do the atrial fibrillation surgery, it did not affect my life. My younger son also started to work again. Our family is happy and harmonious. I have never felt so peaceful and happy before. God has really changed my family’s fate!

During my experience, I saw God’s real existence. He presides over the fate of all mankind; He can create miracles in our life numerous times; He is truly almighty!