Chinese Church Voices

Change Brought about by the Cross

Chinese Church Voices is an occasional column of the ChinaSource Blog providing translations of original writing by Christians in China. The views represented are entirely those of the original author; inclusion in Chinese Church Voices does not imply or equal an endorsement by ChinaSource.


In the online Christian magazine Kuanye, a contributor who had experienced a horrific car accident testifies how church members rallied to show support. The writer's own response to the incident is contrasted with how the writer probably would have responded had it happened before knowing Christ.

Christians believe that God has a magnificent plan for each persons life. This doesnt mean that your life will always be smooth – it is inevitable that youll run into some difficulties and setbacks. Yet God wont make you carry a burden that is too heavy, and after the difficulty has passed, He will give you special blessing. A car accident last year helped me personally and deeply understand this truth.

Last summer, I had a serious car accident. I broke both my femurs, my right knee was shattered, my face was injured , and I fainted several times. I thought I was going to die. When my mom saw how serious my injuries were, she couldnt even say anything. She had never thought something like this would happen, and didnt know what to do.

Later my mom told me that on the day the car accident happened, some of my Christian friends specifically went to spend time with her, and she was very moved by this. She wasnt so lonely and helpless. When I was in the ICU, these Christian friends also prayed constantly, asking God to heal me and to help my family get through this difficult time. They also arranged a roster of people to stay with me in the hospital. I really praise God for this, because He has given me such amazing friends who walked with me through such an unbearable period of time.

Since our family had limited financial resources, I was worried for a while about how to pay for the astronomical medical bills, not to mention the additional expenses of a wheelchair, crutches, and other equipment. Fortunately, many church friends were continually praying, and many people (even many I didn't know) also provided financial help. The helping hand they extended at just the right time kept me from being afraid. My mom also tangibly felt God's love through the actions of these Christians.

After I regained consciousness, I found that my body was in a tragic state: my teeth had been knocked out, my face was injured, and I was not able to walk. It was hard for me to accept this reality, but I didn't dare cry in front of my mother, not wanting to make upset her even more. While in the hospital, I couldn't eat for ten whole days, and I often vomited. I even vomited up green bile. At that time, God comforted and encouraged me through a Bible passage, Isaiah 43:1-3: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God."

In the past, when something like this happened, I would have blamed everybody. I would have grumbled at the Heavens, asking, "Why should I be so unlucky?" But now the new me believes that God has His good will in the midst of all of this. There is an unmistakable peace in my heart, the peace that comes from living in Jesus Christ. I saw God's grace through the car accident – the driver didn't run from the scene of the accident, so I wasn't left helplessly lying on the road. Because of help from so many Christian friends, I was able to stay in the hospital without worrying. Because of God's protection, I am still alive to share this testimony today. Now, I can already walk normally again, and I continue to rehab.

I often think, if Jesus hadn't guided me, would I have been able to walk through this unexpected turn of events with such strength? Would I be able to look at this calmly? Would I be able to live each day with joy and full of hope? Would my heart have peace? I can't even imagine. I just know that I'm weak, but I became strong through Jesus Christ who strengthened me. his grace is sufficient for me.

Original article: 十架带来的改变

Image credit: Christian cross Island La Palma, by Dirk-Jan Kraan, via Flickr

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