Mission Impossible? Divine power!

This is a story I heard. It has been told from time to time that some details of people, events, places and objects have been changed or cannot be verified, but the core of the story is true. The way God changes people is worthy of praise and remembrance, so I wrote it down as far as I could remember, and shared it with readers of the Kingdom of God who are determined to rely on the Lord to break through barriers and influence culture.

The story goes like this...

Mission Impossible? Humans can’t, God can!

Ah Xiong was Pastor Ho Chi-shan's best friend in middle school forty years ago and is now a professor at a university in southern Taiwan. In 2011, due to a sharp conflict with his only son Xiaoyu, he took advantage of He Qishan's return to Taiwan and made a special trip to Taipei to seek help from an old pastor friend.

The test is coming

Xiao Yu joined the church when he was a freshman in high school. He soon decided to believe in the Lord and was baptized. Although Ah Xiong and his wife have always followed family tradition and claimed to be "worshippers of Buddhism" (which is actually a traditional folk religion that is a mixture of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism), they have always been open-minded and respected the freedom of belief. They believed that "religious children will not become bad", and Xiao Yu became a Christian. The disciple did not object at all, and has always maintained a close relationship with his children.

However, a big test suddenly comes!

Xiao Yu's grandma died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving no words to explain her aftermath. The eldest son, Ah Xiong, shouldered the responsibility and took the initiative to organize a grand funeral ceremony in accordance with traditional customs. Grandma was widowed before the age of thirty. Mother and father worked hard to raise three sons to become talents, and single-handedly prospered a family that had been in decline. She was an extremely rare single-parent strong woman in that era. After getting old, grandma no longer cares about worldly affairs, but everyone still respects her as the patriarch of the clan.

Unexpectedly, although Xiaoyu was studying in college and living at home in his hometown, as the eldest grandson, he first refused to take incense and kneel down, and later he refused to attend the funeral at all!

In folk belief, the "patriarch's funeral" is the most important occasion that affects the future success or failure of the entire family, men, women, old and young. Grandma's dearest child, the eldest grandson who is responsible for kneeling down to pay homage and holding banners to guide spirits, dares to disappear. Is it unbearable? !

All the relatives and friends denounced Xiao Yu, and they all accused Ah Xiong of having spent half his life as a teacher, but could not teach himself or his children the most basic human principles! Especially the second uncle, who had been dissatisfied with grandma's favoring of Xiao Yu for a long time, became furious and even called him "pig, dog, beast". Ah Xiong, the uncle that everyone admired, was suddenly surrounded by enemies and was in dire straits!

Grandma and the three brothers Ah Xiong are all celebrities in the local area, and hundreds of fellow villagers came to pay their respects! Xiao Yu, the eldest grandson, was "maliciously absent", so Ah Xiong had no choice but to take over the duties of father and son, and behave politely in the eyes of everyone with strange eyes, while the dissatisfaction and curses from his relatives became more and more intense! The funeral day was approaching, and Ah Xiong begged his son to at least show up on the day and hold an incense as a pretense. Even if it was "at the request of the audience," it would give everyone a step forward! Xiao Yu insisted on never lying and shouted at his father: "It is natural to obey God rather than men! Of course, the Father in heaven is greater than the father on earth!" "Even if I have to die for the Lord, I will never do it to you. yield!"

Growing up, grandma doted on Xiao Yu. In order to love her grandson, she went to church with him several times, and even to make her sweet grandson happy (Axiong's interpretation), she even raised her hand to express her belief in Jesus after fasting and chanting Buddha's name all her life! Now that grandma is gone, shouldn’t the grandson reciprocate and commemorate her with the rituals that grandma was familiar with?

Amidst the pungent smell of incense and the sound of cymbals and suonas, Ah Xiong knelt before his mother's soul, repeatedly tapping the ground with his forehead, and asked himself with tears in his heart: Am I completely wrong to encourage my children to think independently and live out their lives? Mother, will you forgive me for being such an unfilial son?

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After enduring his mother's funeral in a state of near-destructive grief and shame, Ah Xiong was completely exhausted physically and mentally!

That night, Xiao Yu murmured and tried to explain, but Ah Xiong said, "There is nothing more sad than heartbreak." He said coldly to his son: "I am no longer your father, just fly up to the sky to find your real father!" Regardless of his wife's misery Desperately begging for mercy for his son, he ordered the heartless boy to move out before the end of the year.

Looking at his bearded, haggard old friend, Pastor He Qishan couldn't help but sigh deeply. This conflict between family ties, ethics, beliefs and emotions is intricate, deep and wide, and has long gone beyond the scope of family counseling that he is familiar with. To turn things around is truly Mission Impossible!

▲After his mother’s funeral, Ah Xiong became strangers to Xiao Yu and his son, and even ordered his son to move out of the house before the end of the year.

He Qishan knew that Ah Xiong had always taught his children to be brave enough to be themselves, and he had indeed succeeded in educating them. Even now, after all the talk, he still can't point out what went wrong in the child's insistence on not lying. He is studious and thoughtful, and he must know deep down that this turmoil is not the fault of the Christian faith itself, but the child's preoccupation with adhering to the principles of faith, while being unable to take into account the heavy responsibility to the family as the eldest grandson in the aftermath of his grandmother's funeral. To be fair, it is commendable that a boy under the age of twenty has the courage to resist such huge pressure based on his faith. He Qishan thought to himself, if it were him who was twenty years old, he really wasn't sure he would be able to do it!

Since his mother's funeral, Ah Xiong has been filled with pain and resentment, and his life and work have been in chaos; the innocent Ah Xiong's sister-in-law is caught between the father and son who are like two out-of-control bulls, distressed and sad; Xiao Yu hides in the church seven days a week , I only went home to sleep, and my homework also plummeted...

▲The conflict almost forced a family and clan to break up. Who can reconcile the relationship and open a ray of light in the gloom?

a ray of skylight

Pastor He Qishan knew very well that Ah Xiong would be sitting in front of him today. He must be shocked to realize that the road has come to an end. If he does not turn around, the family will rush off the cliff and be shattered into pieces. Since He Qishan shares the same faith as Xiao Yu and is also a close friend of Ah Xiong, maybe he can show him a clear path. Such expectations made He Qishan feel unbearable. However, he also understood that this was a good opportunity given by God to lead the father and son to experience His life-changing power and receive His incomparable kindness in this unprecedented and severe conflict!

He Qishan knew that every word he was going to say next was critical and required the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He seemed to see Ah Xiong standing on the edge of the cliff, about to jump. Although he stretched his arms desperately, he was still a palm away from him. At this moment, is Ah Xiong willing to reach out to him?

"Ah Xiong, have you ever thought about it?" He Qishan prayed fervently in his heart, watching him and saying word by word:"Is it possible that you are disappointed, angry, and sad about your son's blaming, and you are just going around in circles on the surface of "he is unfilial, and it also makes me unfilial"? My loving mother who loves you most, and my grandma who loves Xiaoyu the most, if I knew you Because of the twists and turns in her death, how sad would she be if she gave up on herself and was so depressed that she was about to destroy herself, her wife, her children, and her entire family? Would she rather you not do anything for a single cent? No need to spend money, just love each other as before? ... Xiong, it is important to pay tribute, but isn’t fulfilling the greatest wish of the ancestors the true filial piety?”

Ah Xiong seemed to have been given a slap in the face and was stunned for a long time...

How kind he was when he stepped forward and clasped the cold hands of his old friend: "Ah Xiong, only if you, the head of the family, are willing to take the first step towards reconciliation, can this family be saved! Are you willing to give God's blessing at the age of forty? Is this my only son a chance?If your mother-in-law knew, what would she want you to do? "

After a long silence, Ah Xiong closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. The tightly knitted brows relaxed little by little, like a glimmer of light emerging from the gloomy sky...

I'm here

Carrying the instructions of his old friends and the desire to "turn curses into blessings," Pastor He Qishan squeezed out a whole day from his extremely tight service schedule and rushed to southern Taiwan to continue this impossible task.

On the high-speed train, while praying, the Holy Spirit reminded him that before meeting Xiao Yu, he must first find another key person and must not go past him.

So, He Qishan went straight to Xiao Yu’s church and had sincere fellowship with Pastor S, whom he had never met before.

Pastor S once went to the United States to further his studies at Ho Chi Shan’s alma mater, and also worked with his brother in the missionary field. With the trust of each other as alumni and mutual acquaintances, both parties were able to talk openly and honestly at the first opportunity. Say it straight.

Pastor S was shocked that the funeral triggered such a tragic chain reaction. He said anxiously that for Xiao Yu's "good example" of being "loyal to the Lord", he also publicly praised him several times during Sunday worship. What should I do? He Qishan asked him not to blame himself so much. He just did what he knew he should do at the time. He Qishan shares, "loyalty is the main thing" is certainly good, but what is the purpose behind it? He Qishan sincerely invites:"The power of Christ's resurrection will never stay within the walls of the church. If you are willing, let us become messengers of peace together, bringing true love amidst resentment, finding a way out of desperate situations, and shining a light in the dark night!"

After fervent prayer, they devised a plan that the church could start immediately with the goal of resolving conflict with love. The most advantageous point among them is that Xiaoyu's grandma did come to church, and she did raise her hand to make a decision. She did not explain before her death that she could only have a traditional funeral. What moved He Qishan the most was that Pastor S immediately called him in front of him and mobilized the church staff to fast and pray 24 hours a day for seven days in a row until they saw God's miraculous deeds of turning night into day.

He Qishan immediately found Xiao Yu in a Sunday school classroom in the church who had studied in the United States during the summer vacation of his sophomore year of high school and stayed at his house. The devout and simple boy was extremely confused and aggrieved by this big turmoil. He obviously just chose to stick to his beliefs. Why did his father and family elders unanimously judge him as a treasonous and evil person?

"I know that you didn't go to Grandma's farewell ceremony because you were worried that you would be asked to take incense and kneel before you. Your concerns are not exaggerated at all. However, Grandma loves you and cares about you so much. You are here After she passed away, there was no sign of commemoration or honor for her. Shouldn’t you solemnly say bye-bye to your grandma who loves you the most?” This question made Xiao Yu calm down and fall into deep thought...

He Qishan told Xiao Yu,The Lord’s command is that we live in peace with others. We must forgive others according to the command of the Lord Jesus, just as Jesus forgave us. By being willing to work toward a solution that benefits both parties, the debris of conflict will be cleared away and the door to true love can be reopened. Therefore, "paying tribute to grandma and giving explanations to relatives and friends" has become an opportunity that should be striven for.

He Qishan assured him,God will allow us to glorify Him and enjoy joy in living in harmony with others, and learn to be grateful.He Qishan encouraged Xiao Yu, who was already disappointed and alienated from his father, to write down on paper the good things his father had done to him. Within twenty minutes, Xiao Yu actually listed fifty items, and even he was surprised.

Then, He Qishan asked Xiao Yu to temporarily pretend to be "the father who is no longer angry" and write down what he most wanted to say to Xiao Yu now. Xiaoyu writes, He Qishan is praying and waiting... About ten minutes later,This smart boy actually wrote - "Xiao Yu, dad will leave like grandma one day. Dad doesn't want you to be a lonely bird with no relatives all your life!"; "Xiao Yu, dad knows that Christianity is a religion. People love each other, but I don’t understand why a belief in love can tear our family and the whole family apart?” He finally discovered that in this fierce conflict, he was “suffering for the Lord.” Blinded by the tragic feeling and the grievance of "being persecuted for righteousness", I trampled on my father's love and friendship, and ignored the loneliness and helplessness deep in my father's heart. Xiaoyu threw his pen and cried bitterly!

After He Qishan explained it repeatedly, he understood: It turns out,The most powerful testimony of a Christian is that God’s kindness and joy are revealed in his life.He finally realized,Unbelieving relatives and friends are not enemies or enemies, but objects of evangelism and testimony. The purpose of being "loyal to the Lord" is to be committed to the Lord's teaching of "love your neighbor as yourself" and the great commission of "preaching the gospel to all nations", and to lead the "sheep outside the fold" back to Him.

Before parting ways that day, He Qishan said earnestly to this young brother who was determined to be a disciple of the Lord:"Xiao Yu, this kind of conflict is a rare opportunity given to you by God to grow and glorify Him. I ask the Lord to give you "resurrection faith", which is the true faith that can turn defeat into victory and turn things around. Xiao Yu, this is It takes one person to hear God's call and respond, "Here I am, send me!" That person is the only Christian in your family and family, and I know that after making this commitment! , there must be difficult challenges waiting for you, but rich blessings have also been prepared.”

Ice melts and snow melts

A week later, Xiao Yu held a memorial service for his grandma in a Christian way. In addition to nearly 150 brothers and sisters from the church, what was even more shocking was that the more than 30 relatives who participated in the farewell ceremony of the folk religion more than three months ago were all present! It turns out that Ah Xiong resolutely gave up the huge "private inheritance" left by his grandma to Xiao Yu, and visited everyone one by one to beg everyone to give the child another chance to express his filial piety to his grandma. The second uncle, who had threatened to sue for the inheritance, was finally moved by Ah Xiong's words of "What would my mother's spirit in heaven want us to do?" and reluctantly agreed to attend the memorial service. Other relatives also changed their attitudes.

Xiaoyu spent all his savings, and with the full assistance of the brothers and sisters in the church, he prepared without sleep or food. In every detail that was full of creativity and warmth, he poured his thoughts for his grandma as high as the mountains and as deep as the ocean...

The elegant and bright chapel is filled with splendid flowers inside and outside. On one side of the altar is a magnified photo of Grandma’s beaming face on the day she made the decision.

All the saints prayed earnestly with one accord, and the work of the Holy Spirit was extremely strong. As soon as He Qishan stepped into the chapel that day, he felt as if he was bathed in an extremely abundant light of glory, harmony, and kindness. Almost every brother and sister expressed the same feeling afterwards.

Pastor S strongly invites Pastor He Qishan to co-host this solemn, grand and concise ceremony with him.

To "send off" the old lady Gao Shourong to her home in heaven, the choir added a red scarf to the snow-white ceremonial robe and sang several hymns with all their heart. The moving melody and lyrics full of faith, hope and love soothe and heal the sad, angry and doubtful hearts.

▲The choir sang sincerely, soothing and healing the hearts of every person present with lyrics full of faith, hope and love.

Image source: http://stmatthews-bowie.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CommFest-0331.jpg

The lights dimmed, and a symphonic Taiwanese folk song played in the background. The screen showed scenes of Grandma's various stages of life from bright and capable to a kind elder, as well as the trajectory of her family members surrounding her like stars. In the changing sound and light, the exclamations and chuckles of relatives and friends rose and fell one after another. He Qishan almost thought that he heard clearly the loud sounds of heavy and hard spiritual armor cracking and falling to the ground!

When He Qishan shared the message of eternal hope, reunion in heaven, and how grandma would look forward to the love and harmony of her beloved descendants, looking at the audience, I could see the eyes of the audience were shining and attentive.

Finally, Xiao Yu played and sang "Dearest Grandma, Please Wait for Me in Heaven" which was released in the early morning of that day and was composed and written by himself. Ah Xiong's eyes were red and he took the initiative to stand beside him to show his support. Ah Xiong's wife followed closely and stood on the other side. Before she could finish singing, the family of three was already crying and laughing and hugging each other, as if "no one else was around" ”, such true feelings are revealed! Most of the relatives and friends present have stepped into a church for the first time in their lives. Many of them came to see the show with hostility, but now they are all shocked.

▲Relying on the power of Jesus’ resurrection, what seems to be an impossible task for humans is impossible with God. Image source: http://orthodoxbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/empty-tomb.jpg

Extremely pleasant surprise

At the family dinner that night, Xiao Yu took the initiative to bow deeply and solemnly apologize to his parents and relatives in public with tears in his eyes, setting off another tear-jerking climax. While scrambling for tissues, relatives and friends unanimously praised Xiao Yu's humility and repentance. They were also amazed that the Christian memorial service was so "warm," "noble," and "refreshing" (their words). They also expressed their appreciation for such a large group of people who simply The brothers and sisters in the church who were not relatives but participated unconditionally with all their strength were extremely grateful and were also very curious about the Christian faith. This completely spontaneous "Q&A" while eating and talking lasted until the restaurant closed and was still unfinished. Nearly half of the centaurs even moved to Ah Xiong's house to talk late into the night. Pastor He Qishan will never forget the surprised and excited expressions of Pastor S and Xiao Yu when they said goodbye.

About a year later, at Easter, He Qishan made a special trip to Taiwan and witnessed with joy a glorious celebration in God’s family—Axiong and his wife, two uncles, two aunts, five cousins, and three others. The baptism of a relative. The same family members who attended the memorial service a year ago are all here again. Ah Xiong confidently predicted that more relatives would be baptized and become children of God on Christmas Day.

▲Through Jesus, God and God are reconciled. We can also be peacemakers who repair relationships and bridge the chasms of conflict.

The testimony that Ah Xiong gave before his baptism made He Qishan once again confirm that God used this trial of blood and tears to bring a family back to life and reunite it. He shared that although the process was hard and the price was huge (especially the eight-digit "private inheritance" that grandma gave Xiao Yu), the father and son learned a "priceless" life lesson -The harmony of family and family is priceless, the testimony of Christians who are filial and respectful to their elders is priceless, the power of Christ that turns curses into blessings is priceless, and saved relatives are even more priceless!

At the same time, He Qishan also saw that the church demonstrated His life-changing power by obeying the Lord's commands. He has since stepped out of the "rigid, intolerant, self-righteous small circle" that Pastor S describes as such, and has become another member of the community. A true, living, glowing golden lampstand. How good can be imagined,How much does the church pay in prayer, pastoral care, and teaching during this year? Otherwise, how can we achieve such a fruitful harvest from just one memorial service?In tears of gratitude, Pastor He Qishan seemed to see the Lord Jesus on the mountain announcing to the disciples: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Yes, when a father is willing to put down his dignity, Healing the hurt and striving for reconciliation; when a young man trusts and obeys, responds to the call, and becomes a son of peace, he transforms himself, his family, and even the entire family and church.From the "death" of one grandma to the "life" of her fourteen closest relatives, Jesus Christ, the "Prince of Peace", was indeed glorified in this process of manifesting the power of resurrection!

Narrator's profile

Yicheng, writer. I like to observe and collect the wonderful deeds of God in people’s lives, and write and narrate them.