Although following the Lord for over a decade, Sister H (pseudonym) had never been able to establish herself in the teachings of the Bible, commit to a church, or join a fellowship due to her busy work schedule. She experienced a move of the Holy Spirit this year following COVID-19, establishing a consistent devotional routine that includes daily Bible reading, prayer, and attendance at church events. The article shares her life-changing testimony.
Five years ago, Sister H came to Church R for Sunday service since the W church she attended was unable to have meetings due to a small number of believers and some other reasons. Later, I noticed her attending the Sunday service weekly with a habit of frequently checking her mobile phone during the meetings, coming and leaving in a hurry. I often suggested she join the group, but she refused because she was too busy at work. Upon knowing a believer is in need or is sick, she, a good cook, immediately offers help, visits, accompanies, and makes nutritious meals.
Later, we got along well with each other, becoming close spiritual friends. However, she felt discouraged about reading the Bible, praying, and committing to the church for fellowship, claiming a lack of time. At the beginning of the pandemic, her newly opened restaurant was forced to close, which even caused her debt. As a 40-year-old, when most people have settled down, she has already changed several jobs, all in remote places. Her job was mainly in catering management, which required regular late-night work, leaving her no consistent time to read the Bible, pray, and be close to God. Being a believer for more than ten years, she has read the Bible only two or three times.
In the five years since we met her, I had been constantly praying for her. Whenever she changed jobs or relocated, I would contact her and advise her to find a local church for meetings, no matter what. Later, she did find several churches, but after a few months of attendance, she changed her job and church again.
This year, two of her friends invited her to start a business in another place. She said that it was more attractive to her financially. She prayed with me for God’s will. I began to repeat the old words I had been saying for five years, reminding her that to put God first, she needed to maintain a consistent devotional life. I also suggested she stay and work locally, commit to a certain church, and base job decisions on the availability of time for devotions and church meetings.
Then a miracle happened, which changed her mind to give up the generous treatment in other places. When she was so poor that there was only 20 yuan on her, her house in Chongqing, which she had been unable to sell for several years, was suddenly sold the next day. She could not only pay off all the debts but also have a surplus. Regarding the invitation to establish a business, she resolutely gave up after some prayer, preferring to work as a part-time worker at a local housekeeping company, where she may schedule her time freely.
In the recent Sunday services, there has been growth in her life. She became humbled and started taking the church's Alpha course for new members. She attends every Sunday service with full attention to God’s messages rather than her phone. Outside the church, she also shares her reflections on Bible reading every day in our online small group chat.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Christian in Sichuan.)
- Translated by Poppy Chan
