By Anjing
The sun was rising in the east and illuminating every corner of the land. The willows had sprouted. In a yard, colorful blooms were exuding a delicate fragrance. And there were also two stone benches. Anjing and Li Nuo were sitting on them together and talking.
Li Nuo asked Anjing: “Sister, I heard that you had gotten a gall stone before. It’s very difficult to cure this illness and many people have died of it, but you were cured miraculously. I believe that you must have seen the miraculous deeds of the Lord. Can you share your experience with me?”
Li Nuo’s words triggered Anjing’s memories of many years ago. Anjing said thoughtfully: “Yeah, if the Lord hadn’t carried out the wonderful salvation, I wouldn’t live to the present.
I remember it was one day in 1998, I had a sudden pain in my stomach. In the beginning, I didn’t think anything of it and thought if I was just on some pills for my pain, I would be fine. Nevertheless, later, I really couldn’t stand the pain. So my husband hurriedly took me to the hospital to have a color Doppler exam. After my test results came back, I was informed that, I got a gall stone; my gallbladder was full of stones, the largest one was even 2.8mm and what’s more, these stones couldn’t be removed by an operation or laser surgery; thus I could only take medicines. When I heard the results, my head buzzed and it grew dark before my eyes as my legs felt weak. Although my husband consoled me unceasingly, I still felt very scared and thought: Several days ago, our neighbor died of this illness in his prime. Moreover, I’m seriously ill and there’re so many stones in my gallbladder; if I only take medicines, how can I be fine? Am I not waiting for death? My daughter is so young; what will happen to her when I’ve died? The more I thought, the more scared I was. I felt the death would come upon me at any time.
My relatives were very anxious after they knew my illness. They heard that a military hospital in Shen Yang City was especially famous, and suggested I go to see the doctor there. At the news, I had a little hope in my heart. So, I went to that hospital with my husband. But the result was the same. The doctors informed us: ‘You have no choice but to take medicines regardless of which hospital you go to. We can only cut off your gallbladder if we have to. But we can’t be sure if the gall stone will spread to your bile ducts. Once it happens, there will be nothing more we can do.’ After hearing these words, I felt very disheartened as if I had been struck by a lightning bolt. In the following days, I cried every day and often got a splitting stomachache. When I couldn’t stand it, I really wanted to bang into the wall. My husband didn’t have the heart to see me suffer this kind of pain, so he went everywhere to get doctors and seek remedies for me. Nevertheless, after a period of time, my illness was still aggravated unceasingly. Every time I became ill, I had to be given some Demerol for the pain. In this way, I was tormented as if I had been flayed and thus my weight was reduced from over 130 to 100 pounds.
Later, a classmate of my husband called us and told us that his father was a famous primary surgeon in Japan and came all the way down here just for my illness. So my husband took me to see this doctor, but he failed to cure me, too. At that time, I felt utterly desperate. Even the specialist could do nothing for me, and it seemed like my illness truly couldn’t be healed. Thereupon, I lived in despair and agony every day.
Where man’s abilities end is where God begins. Just as I had no hope, the Lord’s salvation came upon me in time.
Since my illness, I was unwilling to go out. However, one day, I suddenly wanted to pay a call on my uncle who lived behind us. I entered the house to see two women whom I did not know. My aunt introduced them to me and said: ‘You’ve come just in time. These are the sisters who talked to me about believing in the Lord Jesus. They are telling me the testimony of the Lord’s grace: The Lord Jesus was crucified to save sinners; He pardons man’s sins, bestows abundant grace upon him and cures his illness, and everyone who believes in the Lord has peace and joy. Jing, you’ve been tortured to such an extent by the illness. Why don’t you just believe in the Lord.’ I shook my head with a smile and said nothing. At this time, one of the two sisters patiently said to me: ‘The Lord brings man abundant grace. He can give life to the dead, heal the lepers, and make the blind see and the lame walk. One sister was diagnosed as late-stage lung cancer. Since she believed in the Lord Jesus, she had been sincerely praying, admitting her guilt and repenting. The Lord heard her prayers, and finally she was cured.’ Hearing her words, I thought to myself: It’s truly so miraculous? But then I had a second thought: I’ve been a dying person and have only several days to live. It sure would be nice if I could be cured after believing in the Lord. Therefore, I promised to believe in the Lord with them.
From then on, every time there was a gathering, the sisters would come to water and support me and teach me to sing hymns. During meetings, they also sincerely prayed for me. Their love moved me. Then I came before the Lord and prayed: ‘Oh my Lord! I have sins and I’m willing to come before You to repent my sins. I beg You to pardon my sins. O my Lord, You have authority and are a great doctor. You can create something from nothing and cause something to become nothing. I commit my illness into Your hand. May God cure me and free me from the pain.’ With that I felt extremely released.
One day, I had a dull pain in the stomach once again. I thought to myself: Isn’t it said that, as long as I believe in the Lord and pray to Him to repent my sins, the Lord will cure me? But why do I become ill again? Just when in doubt, I recalled that my sister said at the fellowship meeting: ‘We should sincerely believe in the Lord; do no doubt.’ Indeed, the Lord is faithful. How could I doubt Him? I was aware that my own condition was not right, so I hastened to pray: ‘Oh, my Lord! I’m wrong. I shouldn’t doubt You and be of little belief. O my Lord! Regardless of what my illness will be, I’m willing to give my life and death to You. If I’m cured, I thank You; if not, I still have faith in You.’ After praying, my stomachache somewhat eased off.
Before, I fell ill every eight or ten days. During the attack, I could only be given some Demerol for the pain. Since I was willing to rely on the Lord, my pain had been greatly reduced and I didn’t need Demerol anymore. So, I had more faith in the Lord’s authority. It was just as the Lord Jesus said: ‘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’ (Mat 17:20). The Lord is omnipotent. Anything that people think impossible all can be accomplished by God. During my illness, I deeply realized that, at the verge of death, no matter how good the hospital was and no matter how famous the doctor was, they both couldn’t change my fate. But when I sincerely relied on the Lord, His power was revealed in me: My pain eased constantly.
Later, I persisted in prayer every day, actively attended gatherings and spread the gospel. I had something to lean on in my heart, so my mood got better and better and my life was full of hope. My sadness disappeared and instead my face glowed every day. I never imagined that, after a period of time, my illness was cured miraculously.
Through this experience, I truly appreciated God’s mercy and salvation for me, and saw the Lord’s miraculous deeds. After my complete recovery, I preached the gospel of the Lord to my families around me. My mother-in-law released a sign: ‘The Lord really is too almighty! His love is so great!’ After that, my in-laws and my mother believed in the Lord one by one. Later on, I preached the gospel of the Lord to my relatives, friends and neighbors. Some of them saw the Lord’s work on me and thereupon also believed in Him. In this way, one converted ten, and ten converted one hundred. Finally, a church was established.
Counting God’s grace, I have felt that His love is with me and that God is my only reliance. Just as David’s songs say: ‘Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me’ (Psm 23:4). It was the Lord that saved me from the verge of death. Thank God for saving me.”
Li Nuo said gratefully: “Thank the Lord! After hearing your experience, I feel the Lord really is too almighty. When illness comes upon us, no matter how good the doctors and the medical instruments are, they are incapable of curing us and only the Lord is our reliance.”
They continued talking to each other happily. A bird on the tree, fluttering its wings, flew to the sky, higher and higher, further and further …
