After my father became a Christian, he stopped drinking, replacing alcoholism with praise.
Starting to work in the mining area in his twenties, my father had stayed in the mining area for thirty years, though he once left there to make money elsewhere.
My mother said he once loved reading and writing poems in his twenties. However, at some point he broke off with poetry, and picked up the glass, falling in love with wine.
Working 800 meters underground, miners were all fond of drinking to dispel cold and remove dampness, as well as to find a way to entertain themselves amid boring miner life. From taking a sip, my father swallowed a whole glass of wine in one gulp.
After his retirement and becoming a believer, rekindling a passion for poetry, he developed a strong interest in hymns. He said, "With beautiful lyrics, hymns convey to God sincere love, which goes deep into believers’ hearts."
He concluded three characteristics of hymns as "beauty, truth, and love". My father, full of praise, without any grievances, forgave all those who had hurt him, apologizing to all those whom he had hurt. He let go of all sufferings and fatigue he had endured in the mine for 30 years, surrounded by the peace, calmness, and relief after the baptism.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
父亲二十多岁就来到了矿区，他也曾有过离开矿区，想去外面的世界闯一闯，但最终，父亲还是待在了矿区，且一待就是三十年。
听母亲说，父亲在二十多岁的时候还爱读诗，写诗呢，可是，不知道从何时起，父亲竟然与诗歌一刀两断。抛弃了诗歌，父亲端起了酒杯，亦和酒成为了知己。
矿工都爱喝酒，一是为了御寒，抵御井下八百米深处的阴冷湿寒，再者是为了给百无聊赖的矿工生活找到一个可以娱乐怡情的渠道。父亲从小酌一两杯到现在的大口喝，一口闷
父亲重新提起对诗歌的兴趣是在退休信主之后，他对赞美诗歌产生了浓烈的兴致。他说：“赞美诗歌表达极为抒情，文字极为优美，更重要的是里面传递的对上帝那一份真挚的情感真的是深入心扉。”父亲总结了赞美诗的三大特点，就是“美、真、情”。被赞美所充盈的父亲已经没有了任何怨气，他饶恕了所有伤害过他的人，他致歉了所有自己所伤害过的人，他也将自己在矿井三十年所受过的所有苦和累都完全释怀，整个人已经被信主之后的平静、坦然、宽和所包围。
更值得感恩的是在信主之后，父亲戒酒了，他用诗歌代替了酒杯，以赞美代替了酗酒。
http://www.fuyinshibao.cn/article/index/id/60419
父亲信仰的蜕变：从酗酒到赞美
After my father became a Christian, he stopped drinking, replacing alcoholism with praise.
Starting to work in the mining area in his twenties, my father had stayed in the mining area for thirty years, though he once left there to make money elsewhere.
My mother said he once loved reading and writing poems in his twenties. However, at some point he broke off with poetry, and picked up the glass, falling in love with wine.
Working 800 meters underground, miners were all fond of drinking to dispel cold and remove dampness, as well as to find a way to entertain themselves amid boring miner life. From taking a sip, my father swallowed a whole glass of wine in one gulp.
After his retirement and becoming a believer, rekindling a passion for poetry, he developed a strong interest in hymns. He said, "With beautiful lyrics, hymns convey to God sincere love, which goes deep into believers’ hearts."
He concluded three characteristics of hymns as "beauty, truth, and love". My father, full of praise, without any grievances, forgave all those who had hurt him, apologizing to all those whom he had hurt. He let go of all sufferings and fatigue he had endured in the mine for 30 years, surrounded by the peace, calmness, and relief after the baptism.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Father’s Transformation From Heavy Drinking to Praising God
