By Shunfu, China

When I first started to believe in the Lord, I often took part in the church’s various activities, and proactively got involved with anything that it needed me to do. I had a lot of faith in the Lord and also enjoyed the Lord’s grace. Afterward , because my husband’s recurrence of his old illness needed money for treatment, and I had four children to look after, I started to plan for the flesh and thought of nothing but earning more money all day long. I did not have the Lord in my heart, and only when I was so utterly exhausted that my entire body was in pain in the evening, I would think of the Lord and then pray to Him. Several years of hustling and bustling away from home left me penniless, so I had no choice but to return to my hometown. I, however, was still busy earning money just like unbelievers,and I was merely going through the motions in attending church. Just when I was preoccupied with money, a fatal car accident fell upon me.

One day, at five in the morning, it was not yet quite light and I could hardly make out anything in thick fog. While walking along the road with a shovel on my shoulder, I happened to meet my neighbor and her husband who were driving home. As I was turning to go after a bit of idle chatting with them, suddenly a big truck came from behind me and hit the shovel in my hands. I was sent flying for over twenty feet in the air. Afterward my neighbor told me that seeing I was out of sight after being sent flying into the sky, she was trembling with fear. And she cried to her husband, “Stop! Stop! She was sent flying by that truck. Hurry to stop its driver. Don’t let him get away.” Then she rushed out of her car to tell my husband about my accident, and her husband drove to chase the driver.

When my neighbor’s husband and the driver came back to the scene of the accident, I, lying on the ground, had already fallen into a coma. There was a big hole in my head and blood was streaming out, with my clothes soaked in it . After a while, I vaguely heard someone saying, “This person has lost so much blood. She definitely cannot make it and be saved. Even if she gets better in the future, she will be an invalid.” Hearing this, I felt very distressed, thinking, “How have I become like this? If I really do become an invalid, I’ll be a burden. It would be better to have fallen to my death.” Then my neighbor’s husband called an ambulance and took me to hospital. Once we got there, the doctor hurried to bind up my head to stop bleeding. At that time, my husband arrived. I opened my eyes to look at him,he didn’t say a word but looked at me with a leaden face. Many people came to my ward to visit, and some of them said, “The care at this hospital isn’t up to standard. Her condition is too serious and the doctors here are incapable of treating her. Hurry and transfer her to a big hospital.” Then the driver called the city hospital without delay.

When we got to the city hospital, the doctor there saw I had been so badly hurt and took me to get pictures taken right away. Just then my three sisters, who had raced there, arrived. They cut away my bloody clothes with scissors, and then I got pictures taken. The test results showed that the right side of my back had been crushed, and that I had broken eight ribs and the right arm, the flesh on the arm barely holding together by the skin. The doctor said in surprise to my husband, “Your wife has become like this by falling but hasn’t died—she is extremely lucky.” Hearing the doctor say this, I thanked the Lord over and over for saving me because I knew very clearly in my heart that it was the Lord’s protection. Then the doctor said to my husband, “We need to subdue the inflammation and disperse stagnant blood first,and cannot perform an operation on her right now.” So I had to endure the pain and had injections for one week to subdue the inflammation, but after that the doctor still said I couldn’t be operated on. Then my family were all anxious and I felt even more pain in my heart. Because the flesh on my right arm were just held together by the skin, my right arm was hanging down every day and thus I had to hold up it with my left hand, and my family needed to feed me. Besides, because the bones in the right side of my back were shattered, I could neither sit nor lie down. All this made me feel that every single day crawled by as if it were a year and that life was worse than death. In my pain, I began to reflect upon myself. I thought of these words from the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a” So I had to endure the pain and had injections for one week to subdue the inflammation, but after that the doctor still said I couldn’t be operated on. Then my family were all anxious and I felt even more pain in my heart. Because the flesh on my right arm were just held together by the skin, my right arm was hanging down every day and thus I had to hold up it with my left hand, and my family needed to feed me. Besides, because the bones in the right side of my back were shattered, I could neither sit nor lie down. All this made me feel that every single day crawled by as if it were a year and that life was worse than death. In my pain, I began to reflect upon myself. I thought of these words from the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a” So I had to endure the pain and had injections for one week to subdue the inflammation, but after that the doctor still said I couldn’t be operated on. Then my family were all anxious and I felt even more pain in my heart. Because the flesh on my right arm were just held together by the skin, my right arm was hanging down every day and thus I had to hold up it with my left hand, and my family needed to feed me. Besides, because the bones in the right side of my back were shattered, I could neither sit nor lie down. All this made me feel that every single day crawled by as if it were a year and that life was worse than death. In my pain, I began to reflect upon myself. I thought of these words from the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as aas aas aThen my family were all anxious and I felt even more pain in my heart. Because the flesh on my right arm were just held together by the skin, my right arm was hanging down every day and thus I had to hold up it with my left hand, and my family needed to feed me. Besides, because the bones in the right side of my back were shattered, I could neither sit nor lie down. All this made me feel that every single day crawled by as if it were a year and that life was worse than death. In my pain, I began to reflect upon myself. I thought of these words from the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as aThen my family were all anxious and I felt even more pain in my heart. Because the flesh on my right arm were just held together by the skin, my right arm was hanging down every day and thus I had to hold up it with my left hand, and my family needed to feed me. Besides, because the bones in the right side of my back were shattered, I could neither sit nor lie down. All this made me feel that every single day crawled by as if it were a year and that life was worse than death. In my pain, I began to reflect upon myself. I thought of these words from the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as aand my family needed to feed me. Besides, because the bones in the right side of my back were shattered, I could neither sit nor lie down. All this made me feel that every single day crawled by as if it were a year and that life was worse than death. In my pain, I began to reflect upon myself. I thought of these words from the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as aand my family needed to feed me. Besides, because the bones in the right side of my back were shattered, I could neither sit nor lie down. All this made me feel that every single day crawled by as if it were a year and that life was worse than death. In my pain, I began to reflect upon myself. I thought of these words from the Bible, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as aroaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). I knew I hadn’t followed the Lord’s way and had shunned Him. I thought of nothing but earning money and when I failed to make money, I did not awaken and repent but still relied upon myself to work hard and get ahead, just as unbelievers. As a result, I was getting further and further away from the Lord, lost the Lord’s care and protection, and met with such a terrible car accident—wasn’t this Satan harming me and trying to swallow up me? When I thought of this, I felt afraid and even more indebted to the Lord. The Lord said long ago, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:31–32). The Lord’s words already clearly tell us not to worry about or pursue to gain the physical needs. I, however, didn’t believe in the Lord’s words nor practiced according to them, but instead lived enmeshed in worldly entanglements and insisted on relying upon myself to struggle. Was I not betraying the Lord? Then I prayed to the Lord in tears, “O Lord, I’ve departed from You and betrayed You. I know it’s because I haven’t listened to Your words that I’ve ended up in this situation. If it hadn’t been for Your protection for me, such a terrible car accident would have killed me . O Lord, please forgive my sins and transgressions. If my health improves in the future, I’ll no longer long for worldly things, and I’ll make sacrifices for You.” After praying,I felt my wounds didn’t hurt so much and I was able to calm myself.

In the days that followed, I prayed to the Lord every day and entrusted Him with all my difficulties. Later, only after giving me injections for another week to subdue the inflammation did the doctors perform an operation on me. When I was wheeled into the operating room, I kept praying to the Lord in my heart, “O Lord, I believe that You possess power. I entrust the outcome of my today’s operation and my life and death into Your hands. I’m willing to submit to Your arrangements ….” When praying, I lost all awareness. Only after I came to did I know that there was a crack five inches long in my right shoulder and so I had had over ten stitches. And because of a crack six inches long in my right shoulder, I had had over ten stitches. I had broken eight ribs and two of them overlapped, so I couldn’t have an operation on my ribs. The doctor said,“The bones on the right side of your upper body are all comminuted, fractured. There was just no way to perform an operation. We could only pat down the broken fragments of bone and fixed them with steel plates. Then you need to recuperate at home. There’s nothing else we can do for you. After you recuperate well, you cannot lift even ten pounds of weight. You must be careful.” Hearing the doctor say this, I felt very weak. I thought, “If that is the case, won’t I become an invalid? If I cannot do any work and earn any money, how can I go on like this? My husband is unable to earn money due to his illness, and only one of my four sons is married , so how will my family live?” I thought about it over and over and I couldn’t help but cry. I once again lived lost in pain and despair. I cried bitterly as I prayed, “O Lord,please save me and bear my suffering and sorrow. Whether my illness gets better or not, I will commit it to You. It’s only You who has the final say on when I will get better and how my condition will develop. Even if my condition never improves, I won’t complain against You.” After this prayer, the Lord’s words came into my mind, “Come to Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you , and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). The Lord’s words gave me faith and something to lean on. Gradually, I felt less suffering and my right hand could move slowly. I couldn’t help but singing songs of praise for the Lord, “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You: my soul thirsts for You,my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see Your power and Your glory, so as I have seen You in the sanctuary” (Psalm 63:1–2). “I love Jehovah, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call on Him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold on me: I found trouble and sorrow. … Return to your rest, O my soul; for Jehovah has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before Jehovah in the land of the living. … Praise You Jehovah” (Psalm 116:1–19). After hearing my songs, several other patients in my ward all said that I sang well and asked me to teach them to sing hymns.Then we all sang joyously and the pain of our illnesses was eased somewhat. An old lady in the ward next to mine, however, always yelled out in pain, “Ow, ow,” which was disturbing. Hearing this, a doctor said to her, “Look at her (referring to me). She is almost 60 and her condition is far more serious than yours, but she never cries with pain and even sings songs. She gets better faster.” Hearing this, I thought, “ If it were not for the Lord protecting me with His great power and exempting me from my suffering, how could I have such great endurance? If it were not for the Lord comforting my heart, I would also feel terrible and anguished like that old lady .” Later, every day I taught the other patients in the ward to sing hymns. The Lord shouldered the suffering in my heart,so I got better soon and was discharged from the hospital just after over a month. That old lady, however, whose condition was not more serious than mine, was still in the hospital after three months.

After returning home, I was lying on the bed all day long and was unable to take care of myself. My mother-in-law was so old but had to cook and bring food to me every day, and my sick husband also took care of me. Everything before my eyes made me very weak. I thought, “When is all this going to end? Am I not a burden on my family?” In my pain and helplessness, the sisters from my church came to see me. They prayed for me and sang the Lord’s praises together. And a sister read the Lord’s words for me, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life ” (John 3:16). Listening to the Lord Jesus’ words, I experienced His love. “Yes,” I thought. “The Lord was nailed to the cross for us sinners, and suffered such persecution and pain,and has taken our sins upon Himself and forgiven our transgressions, so I can survive. My breath is given by the Lord, and I must resolutely continue to live, take up crosses, and follow the Lord.” At the thought of this, I found confidence, and I sang hymns in praise of God together with the sisters. Later, whenever I was in pain and dealing with weakness, I would read the Lord’s words. I had the Lord to rely on and so became strong in my spirit, and my condition got better and better each day. Afterward, I started to go to church. I gave testimonies of my experience to my brothers and sisters, from which they all saw the Lord’s power and wondrous deeds.I found confidence, and I sang hymns in praise of God together with the sisters. Later, whenever I was in pain and dealing with weakness, I would read the Lord’s words. I had the Lord to rely on and so became strong in my spirit , and my condition got better and better each day. Afterward, I started to go to church. I gave testimonies of my experience to my brothers and sisters, from which they all saw the Lord’s power and wondrous deeds.I found confidence, and I sang hymns in praise of God together with the sisters. Later, whenever I was in pain and dealing with weakness, I would read the Lord’s words. I had the Lord to rely on and so became strong in my spirit , and my condition got better and better each day. Afterward, I started to go to church. I gave testimonies of my experience to my brothers and sisters, from which they all saw the Lord’s power and wondrous deeds.from which they all saw the Lord’s power and wondrous deeds.from which they all saw the Lord’s power and wondrous deeds.

One day when I went out to buy vegetables, some people who knew me saw me and said with great surprise, “Hm? You’re still alive? We thought your condition was so serious that you wouldn’t make it. We never would have thought that you’d come through safe and sound now.” Hearing these words, I was full of gratitude for the Lord and said to them, “Thank the Lord! It is only the Lord’s protection that has allowed me to survive. The Lord has given me a second life.” After recuperating for half a year, I could take care of myself and in the following year, I could reap wheat with a sickle. I was not left disabled at all. I thought, “The fact that I can make such a good recovery is thanks to the mercy of God. My life is granted by God and I must repay His love.” Afterward, I would help cook for the brothers and sisters on Christmas Day and Easter Day,and I also would work for the Lord.

Through experiencing this car accident, I gained a little understanding and knowledge of the Lord’s words, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). I saw that Satan causes people to be busy all the time pursuing money and worldly trends, lust for worldly things and the enjoyments of the flesh, and thereby shun and betray God, and that all this brings us is pain. From my experience, I truly felt that if we don’t rely on the Lord or practice His words in our belief in Him, and instead rely upon ourselves to struggle, not only can we not earn money or take good care of our family, but we might also throw our lives away without the Lord’s protection.I also saw the Lord’s love and mercy for me—He was warning me through my accident so that I wasn’t entangled and constrained by worldly affairs or harmed by Satan, but took back my heart that longed for worldly things. At the same time , I also saw the Lord’s power: In such a terrible car accident, I not only didn’t die or feel so much pain, but also made such a quick recovery. This was the Lord’s protection. It was the Lord who took my sins upon Himself, eased my pain, and gave me the second life. Thank the Lord!It was the Lord who took my sins upon Himself, eased my pain, and gave me the second life. Thank the Lord!It was the Lord who took my sins upon Himself, eased my pain, and gave me the second life. Thank the Lord!