The song of togetherness, sung again and again
【Praise of Gratitude】1
The room was quiet, and we suddenly felt as if we had fallen into the ocean of God's grace, swimming in the waves of God's great love, and the music of God's presence echoed in our ears.
The sunlight outside the window happily casts a halo of light on the eye-catching plaque on the wall, making the ordinary small living room suddenly shine.
When my brother saw me standing there for a long time, staring intently at this hanging plaque, he told me that this was a Bible verse specially recorded for him by a sister from Taiwan at his request, using her strong and beautiful official script.
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you..." I particularly like this passage in the Bible "Isaiah". How come my brother likes it as much as I do? Before I could ask any questions, he talked to me with gratitude.
Don't be alarmed, don't be afraid
"That year, I had just bought a house. Suddenly one day, I suffered a heart attack. The doctor told me that the situation was critical and I needed to undergo surgery immediately, so I was taken to a designated hospital by helicopter.
I was extremely helpless, lying on the hospital bed waiting for the doctor to make an announcement. The sudden fear and panic, mixed with many "what to do", intertwined into an overwhelming worry, attacking me hard.
"What will your sick sister-in-law do if she knows that I am so seriously ill?" 』
"What should I do if I am hospitalized for surgery and cannot work for a while?" 』
“What worries me the most is, what should I do if I can’t pay my monthly housing loan? 』
I felt like I was short of breath and couldn't breathe. Not only did my whole spine feel cold, but my heart was about to explode. I really wanted to shout loudly: "I am weak and helpless. Who can help me?" 』...But I don’t have any strength at all, and I want to scream silently.
At this suffocating moment, footsteps were heard outside the ward, and someone called my English name in the corridor. "Here!", I responded immediately in a weak voice.
Reverend Norman came in. His figure full of vitality and kind and gentle smile instantly washed away half of my worries, and cheered up my painful and depressed heart.
After Pastor Norman prayed for me, he gave me this scripture:“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ” (Isaiah 41:10)Pastor Norman also added: "This word of God is sent to you by the whole church. 』
This is really timely comfort. God, through the pastor and the brothers and sisters, gave me a precious scripture! At this moment, I really need this word from God!
The presence of God brought tears to my eyes, and I almost burst into tears in front of the pastor.
Before Pastor Norman left, he handed me an envelope: "This is some thoughts from the brothers and sisters." "In the envelope was a check for more than 800 yuan, no more, no less, which was exactly what I needed to pay for my housing loan that month. "
When my brother said this, his voice was choked with tears and his eyes were filled with tears of gratitude.
I was so moved that I was speechless by this amazing grace of God’s real presence. The room was quiet, and we all seemed to have fallen into the ocean of God's grace, swimming in the waves of God's great love, and the music of God's presence was constantly echoing in our ears.
▲The author took a yacht and sailed among the waves of God’s incomparable love.
True God is with us, love never ends
Although our brother and sister are only fifty miles apart, because he often goes to China for missionary work, there are very few opportunities to meet. Even when we do meet, they come and go in a hurry, and there is little communication. This time I was able to briefly talk about his daily life because he had surgery on his right eye, so I made a special trip to visit him.
Forty-nine years ago, my brother was mistakenly accused of being an international spy in China because of his beliefs and was imprisoned. The jailer hit his right eye with a rifle butt, causing him to be blind for nearly 50 years. Just because they are "blind", they usually go unnoticed.
The surgery was not ordinary. The lens had to be removed from the eye of a dying person who voluntarily donated his organs and transplanted into his brother's right eye.
Before the operation, more than 800 brothers and sisters in the church prayed together for him. It was a sincere petition and urgent appeal before God. My brother described that time when everyone prayed for him before God as: "A prayer that shook the heaven and the earth."
The day after the operation, I accompanied my brother to the doctor for a follow-up consultation. The doctor asked him to blindfold his good eye, and when he opened his right eye after surgery, he could see the doctor and the doctor's fingers dancing in front of his eyes.
After being blind for fifty years, it was really rare for him to regain his sight. It was far more than he could have imagined! It is another hymn of the true presence of God.
There is still enough sunlight in the room, and the verses "Because I am with you" on the hanging plaque appear even more dazzling and bright. God’s love is so long, wide, high and deep, and God’s presence is so wonderful. Suddenly, I felt a surge in my heart. This surge was a melody rising from the bottom of my heart, like a clear spring in summer or a warm current in winter. It was a beautiful harmony between heaven and man, and a hymn to the presence of God.
Because, God’s love never ends. Anyone who believes in God can sing songs of thanksgiving for God’s presence over and over again as long as they review the past or today they have experienced...