This is an article from a mother who narrated the story of her son's ten-year journey on Earth-a journey marked by his five-year battle with leukemia, which ultimately led her entire family back to the embrace of the Lord. The story was told from the first-person perspective.
Enci was my second child. We hadn't planned for a second child and had already undergone contraception. My mother is a devout Christian, and when I unexpectedly became pregnant, she believed the child was a gift from God, so we named him Enci, which means "gift" in Chinese.
Before Enci's illness, my husband and I were without faith, scarcely pondering the deeper meanings of life. In those times, the specter of death and illness seemed distant and irrelevant.
Prior to November 2018, like most people, I was busy working and making money every day. I had a strong desire for luxury cars and homes, and I would return home very late each day, neglecting my children. Once, when Enci didn't feel well, I took him to the hospital. After a reexamination, the doctor diagnosed him with leukemia, and I suddenly felt powerless. At that moment, I thought of my Christian mother. After making a phone call, she immediately brought several believers to pray for him, and from then on, she prayed with us every day.
After Enci fell ill, I gave up all my work. Within a week, the doctor issued three critical condition notices and advised us to seek treatment in major cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong. So, while taking Enci for medical consultations, I began to call upon the Lord. Enci experienced several "resurrections." During the days of accompanying Enci to see doctors, we prayed, read the Bible together, and looked for churches. After seeing the doctor, he attended Sunday school, and I attended gatherings. Gradually, we came to know Jesus Christ and His truth!
Throughout this time, whether in our hometown or in Beijing, and then in Shanghai, there were always many believers accompanying us, providing material and spiritual support (we were already deeply in debt due to his medical expenses).
When Enci was struck by illness at five years old when he fell ill, he had not attended kindergarten, yet miraculously, he knew many words. He could read the Bible, especially enjoying the Book of Revelation, which I couldn't understand. He often told me, "Mom, the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse is coming soon, and the return of Lord Jesus is imminent!"
Once, he told me that sometimes he would complain to God about why He didn't take him away earlier but let him suffer again and again. I told him, "Perhaps your mission hasn't been completed yet. God's timing hasn't arrived. When the time is right, the Lord will naturally come to take you."
I told him not to complain, as the Israelites faced ruin in the wilderness due to their complaints and couldn't enter the Promised Land. He said, "Alright then, I'll pray, asking the Lord to do His will. Just like the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane, 'not my will, but Yours be done.'"
I asked him, "Do you resent the Lord?" He said, "Of course not! I thank God for letting me live for so many more years!"
With fluctuating physical function and health, Enci escaped danger several times. When his condition relapsed later on, he would say to me, "Mom, I don't want to go to the hospital for treatment anymore. Life and death are in God's hands. Let's live each day happily and not worry about tomorrow! Regardless of the outcome, let's obey."
Enci told me that the best way to grow faith is to treat every day as if it were the last because no one knows if they will be alive tomorrow!
God did not remove our suffering, nor did He remove Enci's illness. However, after experiencing His presence and miraculous guidance, our focus shifted from earthly concerns to heavenly ones.
Enci said he had faith in Jesus because he truly knew Him. He said Jesus had appeared to him twice and each time told him, "Do not be afraid," so he wasn't afraid of death.
Enci said he liked the movie "Pilgrim's Progress", which he had watched at least six times.
The Lord restored his appearance prior to his ascension into heaven. On the day he passed away, the tumors on his face and the internal bleeding throughout his body were gone. Despite very low platelet counts, he didn't experience bleeding.
Two or three days before he passed away, he said to me, "Mom, if you want to take me to play, we should do it quickly. Because I feel my strength deteriorating, and I'm afraid I will die in a few days." I fulfilled his wish!
We went out to play and had a meal together outside. That afternoon, when we returned, he started running a high fever. The next day, he still refused to go to the hospital. We only sent him to the hospital after he lost consciousness, and our entire family accompanied him. I sang many of his favorite hymns by his bedside. Around the seventh or eighth hymn I sang, his breathing slowed, and he fell asleep.
Because of the genuine peace that God had given me, I didn't experience overwhelming sorrow. I knew that what remained was just his body, and his soul was already with the Lord in heaven.
The suffering and tears that Enci experienced during his brief ten years on Earth were not in vain. He led our entire family to the presence of the Lord. Now, my husband, our daughter (Enci's sister), and I often pray together. My mother-in-law used to worship idols, but she also came to believe in the Lord because of his illness. During his treatment, we met many fellow sufferers. We witnessed the grace of the Lord on Enci and in our family, and many fellow sufferers gained faith and encouragement.
We should not only grieve and despair for those who have already returned to their heavenly home but also for our family members and friends who have not yet known the Lord, and who have not yet repented and returned to him. May the Lord use us to bring them into His presence and guide them onto the path of eternal life.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
