A female believer named Joy was born in the 1970s into a farmer's family in Chaoshan, Guangdong Provicne. She experienced much pain and suffering in her marriage but ultimately overcame the difficulties through the power of faith, and her defeat was turned into victory.
Joy shared, "After my Christian mother married my father, she introduced Christianity to his family. I used to go to the megachurch with my mother when I was young, but over time, I felt that the sermons preached there could not satisfy my spiritual needs. After a few years, I dropped out of school to learn sewing, and my sewing master was a leader in the church. At that time, their church was experiencing a revival, so I started attending gatherings with them."
After her was baptized at the gathering, her father asked her to return to school. After graduation, she lived in a county town where she had no place of worship, and her inner life was often weak. This lasted for about six months.
"Someone introduced me to a church on this side of the county, and then I started gathering and worshiping in a pastor's home. The elderly pastor preached and conducted the Bible study, which gave me a deeper understanding of the Scriptures." The pastor's Bible study was ongoing sequentially, according to chapter, and this laid the foundation for her personal faith. She began to understand the Scriptures herself, accept the leading of the Holy Spirit, and practice prayer.
She would often pray when she woke up in the morning and before going to bed at night, seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit in any difficulty.
When she first got married, her husband thought that she was not good enough for him. She recalled, "This was because my husband was making more money at the time, had more social connections, and his personal abilities were stronger than mine. One time, I was bathing our son. I picked up one thing, and he said it was not right. Then I picked up another, and he said it was not right either. He yelled and scolded us. I was very sad that day, and as I went down on my knees to pray, words came to my ears, 'turn defeat into victory'. I asked the Holy Spirit about the meaning of the words. The Holy Spirit prompted me to say, 'You should be a forgiving person first and you also need to repent where repentance is required'. In the past, I used to repent with clenched teeth, but this was not the repentance that pleased God. When I sincerely repented before God, my hurt feelings and the shackles of words binding me all came off."
She opened the Bible and happened to see Isaiah 10:27. As her husband's disdainful attitude remained unchanged, she also prayed for the Lord to grant her wisdom and strength.
Joy continued to endure and do her best. After a few years, her husband's negligence led to the loss of his job. The once arrogant man had now become subdued, and he started to become gentle, showing more care and reverence for the family. Joy continued to be tolerant and accepting towards her husband, and eventually, the two began to move towards harmony and mutual acceptance.
This year, the pressure of senior year in high school made her son feel very low. She prayed for several days but could not release herself of the anxiety. "The following day, I attended the morning prayer meeting on Saturday at the church. The pastor said, 'Cast off the burdens on your shoulders and the cares in your hearts, and entrust them to the Lord Jesus.' He led us in prayer, and instantly, I felt a power surge through me; all the anxiety and pressure were lifted. When I returned home, I fellowshipped with my son, and he began to learn to entrust his burdens to the Lord and find peace in prayer."
Joy testified, "Faith, for me, is no longer just knowledge but has become integrated into every corner of my life. First, I felt spiritually unsatisfied, but I was engaged in studying the Scriptures to understand them, learning to pray, and relying on the Holy Spirit to overcome trials and tribulations. Now I love to talk to the Lord Jesus every day, and I often experience His presence and power in prayer. Therefore, I have to say, it's not that I loved the Lord first, but that He first loved me, this humble and inadequate person."
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
