I have found favor in the sight of my Lord. When I was young, I lived in a poor family where my father was a construction worker working outside and my mother was a farmer working at home to take care of my sister and me. At that time, I was looking forward to my father’s return, because the time he came back was just before Chinese New Year when I could have something delicious to eat.
Later, my mother fell ill. She didn’t digest well, which wasn’t serious at first. However, it became worse and worse over time. The reason was that we did not have much money for her medical checkup. Back then, every time one felt a little uncomfortable, he or she wouldn’t go to the hospital until the disease could no longer be tolerated. Later, she became weaker, and several other diseases appeared.
Because of my mother’s poor health, our family began to believe in Jesus again. I use the word “again” because my mother used to go to church since my grandmother believed in Jesus, but gradually she stopped going there after she got married because my father didn’t believe. My grandmother urged my mother to go to church as soon as possible and not to make bad decisions anymore. As a result, my mother went to church and believed in Jesus again. I was taken there when I was a child. I didn’t understand the faith, though; everyone said that believing in Jesus could put my mother in good health.
As time went by, I grew up. My mother did not fully recover, but the disease stopped becoming worse. She also felt much better than before. Although I didn’t really know Jesus at that time, I still had a good opinion of him. After all, if it weren’t for believing in Jesus, my mother might not be in a good state of mind at home alone since my sister was married and both my father and I were working outside.
My opinions didn’t change much until one day, when I was really depressed while working outside. I saw casual sexual relationships between men and women and the immorality of married people, which had a huge impact on me, who had just entered society. I really didn’t understand why these things would happen, nor was I able to face them. My mother then told me to read the Bible and go to church when I had time. She could not help me since she was not with me, but God could. In this way, I began to really learn to seek the Lord. There were times of stagnation in between, but gradually I was drawn to the word of the Lord. I am grateful that I have not gone along with the uncleanness and depravity of society, but I have found Jesus. Up until I found my own life partner, he forced me to keep my inner purity from the world.
Moreover, later, after marriage, I have a son and a daughter. Now I have opened a small barber shop. The income is not very high, but it guarantees basic food and clothing. I believe there has always been God’s grace to preserve my mother, me, and my present little family. He gives me the holiness of my heart and the peace of my family. Truly, I thank God!
(The author is a Christian in a town church in Jiangsu.)
- Translated by Stephen Huang
