A sister who serves full-time shares how she went from celibacy to marriage and has seen God's blessings and guidance in her marriage.
Sister Huiyu is a high-ranking intellectual in a small, third- or fourth-tier city in northeast China. She is beautiful, cheerful, and enthusiastic. The rarest thing is that she has a heart of love for the Lord.
Her parents divorced when she was a child, and she lived with her mother and became a believer. Recently, she told the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, about her experience.
After graduating from university, Huiyu returned to a small city in the north. She was advised to study theology in Singapore, with her passport and suitcase ready, but was denied due to her single status. It turned out that a pastor felt that Hui Yu was too pretty and might have a tendency to marry a local in Singapore and not return to serve. He told her to wait a little longer and think about marriage first.
Huiyu had aspired to be celibate because she saw that the Bible says, "The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit." She just wanted to please God. So before that, she had already dedicated herself to the Lord and had no intention of getting married.
Losing the opportunity to study theology seemed pitiful, but it opened a window to a happy marriage for Hui Yu.
Her mother, on finding out her reason for wanting to be single, set about introducing her to someone. Huiyu did not focus on external requirements; her first requirement was that the person would accept her as a full-time minister in the future. She also had a wish, and her prayer before the Lord was, "Lord, the person you give me must be someone whose name is in the Book of Life."
She turned down some brothers who were well off and finally chose Brother Jian Shi, whose family's economic condition was not so good with a low salary. When she first met Jian, she told him that she wanted to study theology and serve the Lord in the future. Jian expressed his acceptance and support. At that time, he used to participate in the worship ministry of the church.
They have been married for more than 10 years without even knowing it and now have two children. During this period, Huiyu worked part-time to earn money, part-time in the ministry, and stayed at home with the children on some days. Last year, she decided to serve full-time again and set up a youth meeting place with another co-worker. "I finally got what I wanted before marriage," she said.
Despite his low salary and two children to support, Jian showed no dissatisfaction, expressed his support and participated in leading worship. He plays electric guitar and occasionally composes hymns.
The two have grown up together in marriage, and now that their parents have become believers, they have long since discarded their idols.
Speaking about her husband's experience of growing in the faith, Huiyu confessed that at times when her husband was weak, she was also weak. In the first few years of marriage, she was a bit disgusted by her husband's low salary. On the other hand, her husband had a problem with her not working; he needed her to work and support the family.
Thankfully, they both wanted to live according to the teachings of the Bible. Huiyu tried to let her husband be the head of the family and make all the decisions. She did not even care about money; she gave her salary to her husband and kept only a few hundred yuan for herself.
Jian is also a very family-oriented person. Although his income is not high, he has strong hands-on skills and makes many things himself. The installation of cabinets and lamps in home decoration, material selection, materials, and design were all done by him.
He is also a piano tuner and is occasionally sought out for tuning, which generates extra income. In addition, he plays the guitar and piano, composes music, and now has students learn to play the instrument with him. He even made a small guitar for his daughter to fit her size.
Huiyu found that Jian looked very ordinary but had a sparkle in him, especially seeing that he was full of life. She would praise him to his face, and with her encouragement, his confidence grew.
Jian's monthly salary was only 2,000 RMB, from an initial salary of 1,500 RMB. Many of their relatives and friends around them earned more but felt tired of living; Huiyu, on the other hand, often had an enviable smile on her face.
Huiyu says they have their moments of lack. They might run out of money for groceries today, then suddenly someone calls her husband for piano tuning; he goes and comes back and earns a few hundred yuan for a week's worth of groceries. Recently, when their second child was born, they got a new house. The new house they got was a penthouse, accompanied by an attic as a gift, and Jian now has a studio in the attic where he can teach students to play musical instruments on weekends or in the evenings.
So now that Huiyu has chosen to serve full-time, neither she nor Jian has any financial worries.
When she chose to serve full-time, she received two interview calls. It was a career she had longed for two years ago: to be a teacher at a private school, earning tens of thousands of dollars a month. She prayed and told her husband that she would not go; he supported her, and the children understood.
(All characters in the article use pseudonyms.)
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
一个全职侍奉的姐妹分享了自己如何从独身主义走进婚姻，并且在婚姻中看到上帝的祝福和带领。
慧玉姐妹是一个东北三四线小城市里的高知分子，长的漂亮，为人开朗热情。最难得的是她有一颗爱主的心志。
她从小父母离异，跟着母亲一起生活并信主。近日，她向一中国基督教网络报纸基督时报讲述了她的经历。
大学毕业后，慧玉回到北方一所小城市。本来她被推荐去新加坡读神学，护照和行李箱都准备好了，谁知道后来因为她的单身问题被取消了留学资格。原来，一位牧师觉得慧玉长得太漂亮，到了新加坡很可能有跟当地人结婚就不回来事奉的倾向。这位牧师告诉她再等等，让她先考虑婚姻。
慧玉曾经立志独身，因为她看到圣经上说，“没有出嫁的，是为主的事挂虑，要身体、灵魂都圣洁。”她只想讨神的喜悦。所以在此之前，她是已经把自己奉献给主了，根本没想结婚的事情。
失去了去读神学的机会是一个遗憾，但却为慧玉姐妹打开了一扇幸福婚姻的窗。
她的母亲也知道了原因，就开始着手给她介绍对象。慧玉是一个很优秀的女孩子，但她不看重外在条件，她的首要条件是对方可以接受她以后做全职事奉。此外她还有一个愿望，她在主面前的祷告是“主啊，你给我的人一定是生命册上有名字的人。”
她拒绝了一些条件很好的弟兄，最后选择了家庭经济条件不太好、工资也不高的建石弟兄。她刚认识建石的时候，就跟弟兄说，自己将来要读神学，要服事主。建石表示能接受和支持，他当时在教堂里参加敬拜服事。
他们的婚姻不知不觉已经走过10多年，如今已经有了两个孩子。期间，慧玉一段时间工作赚钱，一段时间带职服事，也有只是在家带孩子的时期。去年，她再次决定全职事奉，她与另一位同工成立了一个青年聚会点。她感叹，“我终于实现了结婚前的愿望。”
建石自己虽然工资不高，还有两个孩子要养，但是一点也没有不满，表示支持，并且自己还参与敬拜带领。他是电吉他手，偶尔也创作赞美诗歌。
两个人在婚姻当中共同成长，如今公公婆婆都已经信主，早已经把偶像丢弃了。
谈到丈夫信心成长的经历，慧玉坦白说，丈夫软弱的时候，也是自己软弱的时候。刚结婚头几年，丈夫工资低，自己也会有点嫌弃；反过来，其实自己不工作，丈夫也是有意见的，那时候建石也希望慧玉姐妹能够去工作贴补家用。
但感谢的是，两个人都想按照圣经的教导生活，慧玉努力让丈夫做自己家庭的头，家里所有事情都由丈夫做决定。甚至自己也不管钱，慧玉上班回来工资也交给弟兄管，自己只留几百元在身上。
建石也是非常顾家的一个人，虽然收入不高，但是动手能力很强，很多东西都是自己手工制作的。家里装修的柜子，灯具的安装，选材、用料、设计都是自己亲力亲为。
他还是一名钢琴调律师，偶尔会有人找他调律，也会有些额外的收入。此外他会吉他，钢琴，能创作，现在也有学生跟他学习乐器。甚至还为自己的女儿亲自制作了一把适合她身材的小型吉他。
慧玉发现建石看起来很普通，但是身上有很多闪光点，尤其看到建石是有生命的人。她会当面夸奖他，在她的鼓励下，建石的信心也在成长。
建石的月工资只有2000元，初期的时候只有1500元。很多人工资比他们高，但是身边的亲戚朋友都感觉生活得很累，反而慧玉的脸上常常挂着让人羡慕的笑容。
慧玉表示他们也有缺乏的时候。可能今天就没有买菜的钱了，然后突然有人打电话找弟兄调律，出去回来，就赚回几百元，一周的菜就有了。这几年，老二出生，他们新换了房子，换的房子是顶楼，还赠送了阁楼，建石现在在阁楼做了一个工作室，周末或者晚上的时候可以教学生学乐器。
所以如今，慧玉选择全职事奉，无论是她还是建石都没有为经济担心。
当她选择全职之后，两个面试电话打到她这里。这是她两年前渴望的职业，XX私立学校的老师，月收入上万。她祷告了跟丈夫说不去了，丈夫支持，孩子也理解。
（文中人物均使用化名。）
见证| 一位曾立志独身的姊妹在婚姻中被上帝祝福的故事
A sister who serves full-time shares how she went from celibacy to marriage and has seen God's blessings and guidance in her marriage.
Sister Huiyu is a high-ranking intellectual in a small, third- or fourth-tier city in northeast China. She is beautiful, cheerful, and enthusiastic. The rarest thing is that she has a heart of love for the Lord.
Her parents divorced when she was a child, and she lived with her mother and became a believer. Recently, she told the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, about her experience.
After graduating from university, Huiyu returned to a small city in the north. She was advised to study theology in Singapore, with her passport and suitcase ready, but was denied due to her single status. It turned out that a pastor felt that Hui Yu was too pretty and might have a tendency to marry a local in Singapore and not return to serve. He told her to wait a little longer and think about marriage first.
Huiyu had aspired to be celibate because she saw that the Bible says, "The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit." She just wanted to please God. So before that, she had already dedicated herself to the Lord and had no intention of getting married.
Losing the opportunity to study theology seemed pitiful, but it opened a window to a happy marriage for Hui Yu.
Her mother, on finding out her reason for wanting to be single, set about introducing her to someone. Huiyu did not focus on external requirements; her first requirement was that the person would accept her as a full-time minister in the future. She also had a wish, and her prayer before the Lord was, "Lord, the person you give me must be someone whose name is in the Book of Life."
She turned down some brothers who were well off and finally chose Brother Jian Shi, whose family's economic condition was not so good with a low salary. When she first met Jian, she told him that she wanted to study theology and serve the Lord in the future. Jian expressed his acceptance and support. At that time, he used to participate in the worship ministry of the church.
They have been married for more than 10 years without even knowing it and now have two children. During this period, Huiyu worked part-time to earn money, part-time in the ministry, and stayed at home with the children on some days. Last year, she decided to serve full-time again and set up a youth meeting place with another co-worker. "I finally got what I wanted before marriage," she said.
Despite his low salary and two children to support, Jian showed no dissatisfaction, expressed his support and participated in leading worship. He plays electric guitar and occasionally composes hymns.
The two have grown up together in marriage, and now that their parents have become believers, they have long since discarded their idols.
Speaking about her husband's experience of growing in the faith, Huiyu confessed that at times when her husband was weak, she was also weak. In the first few years of marriage, she was a bit disgusted by her husband's low salary. On the other hand, her husband had a problem with her not working; he needed her to work and support the family.
Thankfully, they both wanted to live according to the teachings of the Bible. Huiyu tried to let her husband be the head of the family and make all the decisions. She did not even care about money; she gave her salary to her husband and kept only a few hundred yuan for herself.
Jian is also a very family-oriented person. Although his income is not high, he has strong hands-on skills and makes many things himself. The installation of cabinets and lamps in home decoration, material selection, materials, and design were all done by him.
He is also a piano tuner and is occasionally sought out for tuning, which generates extra income. In addition, he plays the guitar and piano, composes music, and now has students learn to play the instrument with him. He even made a small guitar for his daughter to fit her size.
Huiyu found that Jian looked very ordinary but had a sparkle in him, especially seeing that he was full of life. She would praise him to his face, and with her encouragement, his confidence grew.
Jian's monthly salary was only 2,000 RMB, from an initial salary of 1,500 RMB. Many of their relatives and friends around them earned more but felt tired of living; Huiyu, on the other hand, often had an enviable smile on her face.
Huiyu says they have their moments of lack. They might run out of money for groceries today, then suddenly someone calls her husband for piano tuning; he goes and comes back and earns a few hundred yuan for a week's worth of groceries. Recently, when their second child was born, they got a new house. The new house they got was a penthouse, accompanied by an attic as a gift, and Jian now has a studio in the attic where he can teach students to play musical instruments on weekends or in the evenings.
So now that Huiyu has chosen to serve full-time, neither she nor Jian has any financial worries.
When she chose to serve full-time, she received two interview calls. It was a career she had longed for two years ago: to be a teacher at a private school, earning tens of thousands of dollars a month. She prayed and told her husband that she would not go; he supported her, and the children understood.
(All characters in the article use pseudonyms.)
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
Testimony: Story of Woman Who Once Aspired Celibacy Blessed by God in Marriage
