A Christian man surnamed Shen experienced sudden lower limb paralysis, which caused immense pain for his family. As the witches (religious healers) invited to perform rituals at their home left in despair, a looming shadow of his impending loss gripped the family. However, blessings in the face of despair quietly unfolded. In his desperation, his mother chose to trust in Jesus and dedicated him to God in prayer. Then, he recovered miraculously. Shen has been on a path of service for 40 years, following the Lord's mercy.
The following is his testimony of grace in the first-person narrative.
In 1982, at the age of 21, on a Sunday, I spent the morning carrying manure to the fields and attended a meeting as the production team leader in the commune in the afternoon. In the evening, I played cards at a neighbor's house and went to bed, returning home around ten o'clock. Without any warning, in the middle of the night, my lower body suddenly became immobile.
Worshipping idols at that time, my family members believed that illnesses occurring at night were related to yin energy and should not be treated in hospitals. They opted to invite sorcerers to perform rituals for healing. The first one stayed at my home for half a month with no improvement, stating that the ghosts in our house were too powerful with a recommendation to seek a more powerful sorcerer. Then, my father brought a witch who also failed and suggested finding a Bodhisattva surnamed Bao. The elderly “Bodhisattva” lady in the mountains believed that there were three malicious entities in our house. She instructed my father that the front door be closed for the first seven days, day and night; no sound be heard in the house for the second seven days, day and night; and incense, candles, and paper be burned for the third seven days, day and night. However, my condition worsened.
In the end, my parents had no choice but to take me to the county hospital. The doctors believed it was too late for medical intervention, and if I survived, it would likely be with high-level paralysis. After tests revealed no clear cause for the paralysis, my life was sustained through intravenous drips.
Due to the lack of a telephone, my mother was unaware of my condition when two elderly Christian women visited her that afternoon. They said to my mother, "Your family is steeped in superstition; we can't hold it in anymore." "You should quickly believe in Jesus, who can save your son."
The next day happened to be a Sunday, and my mother went to church with them. The pastor asked each believer to pray that I would be healed and used by God. My mother prayed, "God, if you can heal my child, I will dedicate him to you." At that moment, I suddenly woke up at a hospital in Hangzhou, and gradually, I could get my leg to move. After a few trials, I was able to walk on my own.
Three days later, my mother visited me at the hospital, taking out a piece of paper with the words, "In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever; 'til my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river."
Upon learning of my mother's conversion to Christianity, I believe that, although the spiritual realm may be unseen, it is indeed a real existence. Moreover, I believe that in the spiritual realm, Jesus is supreme. I think that if I follow Jesus in this life, no demons or monsters can harm me. And so, I have been following and serving the Lord for forty years.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
