Editor's note: This story talks about the life testimony of Li Ming, the founder of Faith, Hope & Love family. It tells how God led him out of drugs successfully, called him to found the drug rehabilitation center and to help many drug addicts in pain convert to Christianity. When we see the change and restoration of these people, what we can do is to give our thanks and praise to God.
There are four miracles in Li’s life, including two healing miracles and two miracles that lead him to the gospel ministry.
The first healing: Li quit the drugs within 21 days
Li Ming had graduated from primary school when he quit his studies. He was a well-behaved introverted boy. His parents were in the clothing business and his family lived a good life. He had an elder brother who died of drug overdose. It was his brother who taught him to take drugs. The family became broken because the two brothers were both drug addicts. His mother worshipped lots of idols in hopes that he would get rid of the drugs. She even gave him water mixed with the ashes of the candles, saying that it would help him get out of drug usage, which made him think it was truly foolish.
“My mother gave her life to Christ in 1997 and brought me to church. I converted to Christianity in Guangzhou in 1998. For some years I quit drugs and started my own business which was successful. I was really proud at that time. The Bible says, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."(Proverbs 16:18)
However, later he began to take drugs again thinking it was nothing since he had already quit it for some years. But it was the beginning of a disaster. Finally, his business went bankrupt and he ran into debt, his house was mortgaged. Even if he had a daughter, he would use whatever money he had to buy drugs instead of his daughter’s milk powder. He was blamed greatly and he took more drugs while crying, hating himself for doing such a thing.
He went to at least seven to eight different drug rehabilitation centers to try and quit drugs. But he never succeeded for there was no real repentance inside him. Eventually, his wife asked for a divorce. It seemed like this was his end but it was only the beginning of God's work.
He cried to God that he didn't want to live a life like this. He wanted to be a man of dignity. He asked God to cure him, to take away his memory of taking drugs and to change him into an ordinary man. At that moment, the Holy Spirit said to him: "You should clean your hands and purify your heart and live a Godly life." Then his heart became soft and he became grateful. On the eighteenth day, he went home because he had some health problems.
From that day on, he had no interest in drugs. His family and Christian friends were waiting for his arrival. He hugged them one by one for he felt he owed them and his family. With shameful tears on his face, he apologized to them because they raised money to send him to the gospel center and bought new clothes and daily necessities for him. He shared with them that each time he saw the necessities they bought for him, he felt really moved. There were people who cared for him and loved him, even when he hated himself and felt unworthy of being loved. He finally understood what "love your neighbor as yourself" meant. It meant treating those who are worthy of being loved as the best way you treat yourself.
The second healing: God healed his disease through his faith
At home, he was sick and thought he couldn't live long. He couldn't eat and was getting thinner, suffering from pain even sleeping. One day he told his mom about the sickness. The next day his mom went to church to attend the prayer meeting and asked brothers and sisters to pray for him. In the evening, alone in the drawing room, he suddenly felt joyful and excited while his sadness and worry were gone. The joy he never had before may come from the pouring of the Spirit. God was calling him and they had a conversation:
"You should follow me."
"I do. I do!" He replied.
"Do you dare to follow me at the risk of your life?"
"I dare."
He asked God with tears: "Heavenly father I ask you: if you want me to follow you, please heal me and grant me good health to serve you."
That time God responded to him, "I will heal you unless you listen to me and stop sinning."
He felt peaceful since then. When his mother came back, a sister of her group called to him and wanted to bring him to the hospital after praying for him. But he refused to go to hopistal nor take medicine. He believed if he listened to God and stopped sinning, God would definitely heal him. Since then, he often cried for feeling God's love, describing himself as the world's happiest man. After a month, he was feeling better and the disease was almost gone, as the bible says "a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22)
- Translated by Karen Luo
