Tong Guangming was born in a mountainous area in the southern part of Shandong Province. The 1990s was a period full of hope and change. While most people were still struggling to make ends meet, Tong, with his intelligence and hard work, became a well-known "ten-thousand-yuan household" by the time he was under thirty, also with his own Santana car. Tong was proud of his accomplishments, feeling that his future was bright, just like his name.
At that time, he didn’t believe in the Lord and was passionate about burning incense and worshiping idols, believing that these idols could bring him wealth. Though he had a lot of money, he was still dissatisfied and wanted more. Whenever he heard about an idol that could bring prosperity, he would eagerly go to offer incense.
In 2000, an event occurred that completely changed Tong Guangming’s life trajectory. One day, while riding his motorcycle home, he was hit by a car at a turn and immediately fell into a coma. At the hospital, he fell into a severe coma, with his life hanging by a thread. The hospital issued three critical condition notices.
Tong’s wife cried day and night, unsure of how to face this sudden disaster. In this moment of despair, she remembered the idols her husband often worshiped and considered seeking their help once more. However, at this moment, a devout Christian neighbor appeared and told her that she should turn to Jesus.
Guided by this neighbor, she went to church. The pastor prayed for Tong, asking for God’s mercy and salvation. After 28 days in a coma, Tong miraculously woke up. He said that when he woke up, he felt an overwhelming hunger and ate three steamed buns in one sitting. His wife immediately knew that it was God who had saved him. From that moment on, she decided to join the church and study the Bible with other believers. She realized that all the gods she had worshiped before were false, and only Jehovah was the true God. She began to serve in the church daily.
At the time, although Tong had not yet accepted the Lord, he did not stop his wife from gathering at the church. He believed that Jesus had saved him, with great respect for God. Later, under his wife’s guidance, he began reading the Bible and attending church services. Through this process, he gradually realized how wrong his idol worship had been. He came before God, confessed, and repented. He accepted Jesus as his Savior and was baptized. From that moment on, his life underwent a complete transformation.
After coming to faith, Tong became fervent in his devotion to the Lord. He said, "The Lord Jesus gave me new life, and I want to live for the Lord." Though he continued to run his business, he always prioritized church work. Whenever the church needed him, he would often drop everything to serve.
When the church building construction began, he not only donated money but also participated in the work, going to the church every day to help. During the year-long construction, he hardly left the construction site. At the Christian training classes held annually in their city, Tong would cook for the students and personally shop for ingredients at the market. He never accepted payment for his services and often paid out of his own pocket to improve the meal quality.
Reading God’s word every day, he enjoys being with the church pastors. He said, "As they know more of God's word, being with them helps me learn more about God's word."
Although he had suffered a car accident, his health is now stronger than before the crash. He often says with emotion, "My parents gave me a good name, Guangming, which means light. I used to think I found the path to light when I earned so much money in the world. Now I know that only when I found the Lord Jesus did I find true light."
((Originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission and the author is a pastor in Jiangsu. )
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Abigail Wu
