Before her birthday that falls on September 6, Jing Chang, a gospel artiste from Taiwan, expressed gratitude to her mother on Weibo for enduring a day and night of labor pains 40 years ago to give birth to her. Jing has experienced the Lord and witnessed His redeeming love on numerous occasions.
She documented her experiences traveling to mainland China with her mother. She also seized this opportunity to fix her relationship with her mother.
Jing candidly confessed to her mother that she had been trying all means to leave home ever since she graduated from high school, which stemmed from her fear of the heavy debt burden at home. After that, she stayed away from home for over a decade. It was not until four years ago, when she was penniless and had nowhere to go, that she turned to her mother for help. She asked her mother, "Is there an empty room at home?" Without a second thought, her mother gave up her room, which became Jing's haven.
Jing wrote, "The story of the prodigal son is not unfamiliar to me. Since I was young, I never longed to return home. But now that I know that there is a home I can return to, it is so grateful and precious." Even though the room at home is much smaller and less comfortable than the rented apartment she used to live in, she cherishes it because it allows her the opportunity to rebuild her relationship with her parents.
Jing also wrote, "I am grateful to God for allowing me to renew my relationship with my parents. In these few years, I have been learning to communicate my feelings to them. I have come to realize that human relationships require investing time, effort, and communication, which cannot be easily avoided, and communication should not be given up on." Lastly, she hopes that her mother can also come to know God's love and find healing from broken relationships and the feelings of powerlessness and helplessness in marriage. She expresses her willingness to walk the "journey home" with her mother. A netizen commented, "But if our parents are not willing to fix their relationship with us, what should we do?" Jing encouraged him not to give up.
Another netizen expressed, "Mothers are always learning how to be mothers, and children are always learning how to be children." Jing replied, "You are right. Parents are also navigating their role as parents for the first time, and they were once someone else's children. We should be more tolerant of their limitations rather than expecting them to be perfect parents."
Another netizen stated that the prodigal child returning home is something worth being thankful for and blessed by. They wished blessings upon Jing and her mother and also "hope that every child who is still wandering can find their way home."
- Translated by Nancy Nonye
