Yu-Yuet Cheung 2022-06
At the end of May, when it was up to the deadline for submitting my article, I went blank, not knowing how to approach it. I kept praying to God for guidance, “Oh Lord, what do you want me to witness?” and the Lord inspired me, “My grace is sufficient for you, and my cup overflows; you only have to proclaim it from your heart.”
Two days ago, bad news came from Hong Kong. It sheared my heart, drained my
soul, and probably contributed to my blanking out and not knowing what to write. My third uncle, my dad’s youngest brother, suffered a stroke a few days earlier. And now he is staying in Queen Mary’s Hospital and unconscious. My cousins tried to keep the sad news from my dad, fearing a more damaging impact on him. He has just recovered from COVID in February, and my mom got COVID the same after him. I wonder how things would have turned out if Jesus had not intervened.
From January to February, right before my parents got infected with COVID, Hong Kong Island was experiencing a massive outbreak of COVID. My dad refused vaccination despite my frantic pleads. Finally, I turned to Christ to seek help was the only thing I could do. I also directed my mom to turn to Christ in prayers for help if nobody was available and assured her that He was at her side at all times.
Nobody dared to call for an ambulance when my parents stayed in bed in dire conditions. All public hospitals in Hong Kong were chaotic at the end of February, ICUs were full of deceased bodies, and many patients had succumbed to COVID. Private hospitals were full and had to turn away new COVID patients. There was no door for help! At a time when my mom started to slip away in health and motivation (she was weak and her back hurt), she cried out to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Miraculously the next day, my dad’s condition started improving, my mom’s back pain
started easing, and she encountered firsthand the mighty healing hands of Jesus Christ. Overjoyed, she called and WeChat to her sister (my 5th aunt) in Guangzhou right away. My Mom pleaded with my aunt to turn to Christ and abandon the Buddhas she’s been worshipping, for there is only one true God.
In the meantime, all my siblings residing in Canada could only greet my parents
with no other alternative but video messaging. We could not go to Hong Kong since all air flights were suspended. We were hoping that our youngest sister and her husband could take up the task of looking after our parents as they were in Hong Kong.
In desperation, we started praying together through video messaging, We confessed all our sins, admitted things that have been displeasing God, and asked for forgiveness.
God promises: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed…” (James 5:16). God has revived our souls and reminded us to be humble- not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.
Thanks to the Lord, even though the pandemic was seriously threatening, our Lord God has sent angels to help our parents and us. Through the healthcare team, our youngest sister received great consultation on how to take care of our parents.
One particularly touching incident was when an Indonesian maid of our sisters ventured out to the apartment to care for our parents, disregarding the highly infectious COVID. She is our angel! She said, “Both elderlies have been very nice to me. I have to care for them.” From that day onward, she is no longer a maid. She is one of our family. Thanks to our God, who sent His angels to help in times of hardship.
But then the worst is not yet over! My third uncle was in a tremendous challenge too. I visited my third uncle and his wife when I went back to Hong Kong to see my parents every year. I brought to them the gospel of good news always, inviting them to accept
Christ, receiving the gift of eternal life. For a sad reason, he said that he had a bad experience with some religious organizations in the past and was offended. Despite adversity, I trusted that our Lord has his plan for good timing. What I could do was pray.
I also brought them a souvenir of a cross and some evangelical booklets, yet they had never decided to follow Christ. About three months ago, his wife died from cancer, which
brought him a vast depression. And that probably contributed to his stroke later. He is
seriously sick now, but I trust he could still be alert. During the pandemic, public hospitals are not usually open for visitation. My cousins could only go in to care for him at night because one of them is a nurse working at Queen Mary’s Hospital. For that reason, I asked to play a gospel recording tape to my third uncle, telling him to call out the name of Jesus and that he would receive help and he may heal and have peace.
I can only keep praying for my third uncle for his salvation. I genuinely believe that our
God is gracious and merciful. I told my uncle the same before he was ill, asking him to
call out to Jesus in helpless situations. Even when nobody helps, just remember to call out to Him.
Please pray for my third uncle with me because this is God’s promise. It will be listened to whenever there are two or three in prayer.