He has fought the good fight

Text/Andrew Yang

Translated by Zhang Jun

Editor's note: Pastor Gao Yaomin, the father of the association's founder Gao Lili, passed away on Christmas Day in 2023. Pastor Gao was simple and low-key throughout his life, and tried his best to spread the gospel. His faithful faith influenced and blessed many people. Pastor Gao is also an alumnus of the KRC camp. The following is the message shared by his grandson Yang Junan at the memorial service.

once had

My grandfather once told me that I should pray to God for new grace every morning.

I guess this was the inspiration he got from Lamentations 3:

“It is because of the LORD’s manifold steadfast love that we do not perish; because His mercy does not fail. It is new every morning; Your faithfulness is exceedingly great. I say in my heart, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I Look to Him.”

Grandpa's life was rich. Not only did many people love him deeply, but he also spent his life sharing this love with others. In my childhood memories, my grandpa used to be so full of energy, he looked so strong when he carried me on his back, and he walked like flying.

I remember him as smart and witty, especially good at telling funny stories. To me as a child, he was the embodiment of humility and patience. It's a pity that these childhood memories have become blurred with the passage of time. I hope that through the remembrances of others during the memorial service, I can paint a more accurate and vivid picture of what my grandpa was like at that time.

I was already a young adult when my grandpa suffered a stroke. In my adult life, my grandpa was very different from before. The stroke caused him to lose most of his memory, language and mobility, and also took away his physical agility and intellectual sharpness. The illness transformed him from the grandpa I remembered from my childhood into a completely different person.

Especially in the last few years, when he was bedridden, he talked mostly about his illness. Occasionally I will catch a glimpse of my former grandpa, but I have realized that I am no longer surprised - he no longer remembers who I am, or that I am married, or who is dead and who is still alive, or even confused about himself. Wherever you are.

retained

In kendo, there is a training method called tachikiri keiko (Japanese "break ち cut り Jigu"), in which players have to accept challenges from multiple opponents in turn until they are exhausted (similar to a wheel battle with one enemy against many). The essence of training is that you can only know the true results of your training when you are exhausted. Because at this time you are no longer able to carry out unnecessary thinking and strategies, and can only rely on the direct reaction of the body to deal with it; all the training and preparation in the past have enabled your body to complete the action accurately without thinking.

Looking back on the past 14 years, Ah Zheng has experienced such a trial. The stroke caused him to lose a lot, but what remained showed his true character.

After the stroke, he maintained his love for his family, especially his grandmother, and his faith. He and his grandma continued to have spiritual devotions together every morning. He would listen to the Bible carefully and sing hymns to the best of his ability. Although sometimes conversations were difficult and he couldn't even figure out who was who, he would still pray, sing hymns with everyone, or ask his grandma to come over. He would always hug me and kiss my cheek when I visited, even if he didn't always recognize who I was.

Whenever his mother asked him to pray, he always did it immediately without any hesitation. This is "muscle memory", the result of years of training, repeated so often that it becomes as natural as breathing. This is tachikiri keiko. When you're exhausted, when you can't think, all you have is what you've trained yourself to do without thinking.

Grandpa’s training for himself was to love his wife, love his family, trust in Jesus, and preach the goodness of God.

Lamentations 3:24 says:"The Lord is my portion; therefore I will hope in Him."Anyone who has ever tried to exercise faith knows how difficult it is. But this is exactly what Grandpa has practiced throughout his life, in order to prepare himself until the end of his life.

To me, that's the greatest thing about him. Whether it was the strength of a young man or the weakness of an old and helpless man, Grandpa was always focused on this one thing throughout his life.

Paul said in his last letter to 2 Timothy:

"Now I am being poured out as a drink offering, and the hour of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on, I have the crown of righteousness. I have deposited it, which the Lord, who judges righteously, will give to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who love His appearing.”

Two years ago, I heard my grandma ask my grandpa a question during their breakfast devotional:

"We usually bring some gifts when we visit our friends. So what gifts do you want to bring when you meet Jesus?"

Grandpa replied, "I will take the souls won for Jesus with me."

He has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith...