I met my friend Li after three years apart and the question he asked me inspired me to write his story.
He may look unrefined on the outside, but deep down he is indeed an artsy guy. He joined our provincial Writers Association in high school and made a fortune writing novels while in school.
This time, he went back for his bachelor degree examination (He already has a junior college degree). We haven't seen each other for three years, when suddenly he told me he just divorced his second wife because she only cared about his money. He can't stand his wife or anyone else scheming for his money. He doesn't trust anyone.
He asked if I still serve in the church and what my salary is. I told him that I volunteered because of faith and it had nothing to do with payment. However, I would gladly accept it if the church pays me to help with my life.
"Tell me if someone like me still qualifies as a Christian" he then asked.
Knowing no perfect answer, I only replied: "Jesus will always open his arms for you and accept you no matter what you've done."
Li is no doubt the most miserable Christian I've ever met. He was born in one of the poorest areas in Jiangsu Province, a central-eastern coastal province of China. He lived in a single-room house, a place he rarely stayed because he has no family.
Li's father fell from a tree and died when Li was six years old. Less than two years later, his mother died from long-term sickness. He never knew his grandparents, and just like that he became an unfortunate orphan. The only relative that still kept in touch with him was his aunt, who was also very poor and unable to adopt him. Each week, she would cook him a meal, help with his laundry, and leave him 20 yuan ($2.5).
Li's stubbornness forbade his begging from other relatives. He had good grades despite the fact that he never paid for tuition.
The only problem for him was food.
So he would sit in front of a granny's house who lived behind him and listen to her singing hymns while happily sharing meals there. Shortly after, he shared her faith as well, though he only attended church for the free meal, he recalled.
When he grew older, Li worked as a scavenger to support himself after school.
In order to put himself through high school, he worked part-time in a solar heating shop, giving out fliers. Quite unexpectedly, he successfully sold one product to a family who just built a new house and was rewarded 300 yuan. ($40)
The next day, he came up with a scheme to sell the solar heating system himself. He found a small front store and the manufacturer of the product furnished it free of charge. After paying 3,000 yuan ($400) as a deposit he got 10 heaters. He rode his bike to the villages to promote the product while his cousin looked after the shop. By the end of his first year in high school, he had earned over 60,000 yuan! ($ 8,000)
Unfortunately, one worker fell off the rooftop of a second-floor building and broke his back. Not only did Li lose his money as compensation, he closed the shop.
Losing all his money AGAIN drove poor Li crazy. He went back to what he did best: promotion. Other than school, he devoted all his time to making money.
After the college entrance exam, he was admitted to a junior college, which was the highest degree in his village.
The Christian granny reminded him repeatedly to find a church in his new city. Attend services and Jesus would help him, said the granny.
We met through an event when our church recruited freshman believers in his school. Since our church provided a free lunch, he always arrived right at lunch time and excused himself for a part-time job after he finished eating.
One time, I visited him in his dorm. He bought a second-hand computer for writing and profited from web hits. He topped 4,000 ($600) yuan one time for a single month. I searched for his work online and discovered many inappropriate scenes. I was shocked that a Christian would write such things. But I was in no place to judge him. After all, I hadn't experience what he did, and I had what he didn't.
However, because of the teaching of Jesus, I still advised him to stop writing such novels if at all possible. And he said yes.
Since he mastered in Chinese medicine, he worked as a pharmaceutical salesperson after he graduated. It is a complicated industry. He made a lot of money in just three years, some of it may not please God, he confessed.
Now that he has money again, he desires a family, even though he has had two wives. He is thinking about getting back with his first wife. According to him, they still have feelings for each other. Plus she never asked for a penny after the divorce, and did not badmouth him.
As we were departing, he asked me again: "My brother! Do you think God would want someone like me as a Christian? I feel like I'm so far away from Him."
I answered with a smile: "If you have time, read the Bible and start with the New Testament. You'll figure it out since you're so smart!"
-Translated by Grace Hubl
