Taking on the Lord’s Great Commission, a female Christian named Xu Ruyun fell ill from exhaustion, as she bore witness to God in season and out of season.
Xu was about to serve at the church the other day, but when she woke up in the middle of the night, she suddenly felt dizzy and found that her voice was too hoarse to speak.
That night, she first asked another female believer to take over the holy work that she was about to host. When she arrived at the hospital, the doctor suggested that she be hospitalized immediately because she had high blood pressure and diabetes. During her stay in the hospital, Xu looked at the busy medical staff and the patients in the ward who were moaning in pain. She secretly begged the Lord, "O Lord! Since You have sent me among these people, please let me bear fruit for you and prepare their hearts to receive the gospel."
However, for many days, when Xu preached the gospel to the medical staff, doctors, and nurses always hurried away, shook their heads, or left with a polite smile. Xu was not reconciled to it, so she turned to her fellow patients. The old woman said angrily, "My daughter-in-law, Xiaowei, is also a Christian, for whom I would never believe in Christ."
It turned out that Xiaowei was not filial to her mother-in-law and often said to her husband how bad his mother was, sowing discord between her husband and her mother-in-law. She was selfish and bossy, which made her mother-in-law hate her beliefs. When Xu heard what the old woman said, she remained silent and started reading the Bible. Unexpectedly, a cleaning lady asked kindly, "Are you reading the Bible?"
Xu was very happy to meet members of God’s family when she was hospitalized. Following her to the cubicle where she rested, Xu held her hands and prayed to the Lord. While they were praying, another female Christian who swept the floor came to join them. Hearing the prayers downstairs, another female believer upstairs also ran down to “reunite” in this small sanitation worker's break room.
Xu asked them about their beliefs. One could sing hymns, another could not read, and the third had never read the scriptures. Xu explained the Bible she brought along to them for a long time and made an appointment to meet there every day during their hospital stay.
Xu gradually recovered from her illness, and her small fellowship at the hospital kept growing. First, there were a few Christian cleaners; later, some patients joined in, with busy nurses coming to listen to them. Xu emphasized that as Christians, they had a great commission from the Lord and should spread the gospel of the Lord, not just love each other. Not satisfied with their salvations, believers should lead more people to Jesus to be saved.
Xu said with tears that she originally thought that her service would be delayed due to illness and that she could not see the Lord answer her prayer of preaching the gospel. But later she understood she was also working for the Lord by distributing spiritual food according to the season as she nurtured believers in the hospital.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a believer in Henan Province.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
徐如云姊妹，是我们教会一位以主的大使命为己任的火热爱主的姊妹。无论得时不得时，都要为主传福音。
这不，终于累得病倒了！
前些日子的一个周末，徐姊妹将要在教会主礼圣工，但夜半起床时，徐姊妹突然感觉天旋地转，并且发觉嗓子已哑，发不出声来了。
当晚，她先联系肢体，让一位姊妹替下自己将要主礼的圣工。而到了医院，血压很高，血糖也高，医生建议立即住院。在住院期间，徐姊妹看着忙碌的医护人员，以及病房中痛苦呻吟的一位位病友，她暗暗向主恳求：“主啊！既然你打发我到了这些人中间，那么也求你让孩子在这里为你结出果子来，求主预备心灵来接受你的福音。”
然而，一连多日，当徐姊妹向医护人员传福音时，那些医生、小护士总是行色匆匆，摇摇头，又或者礼貌地笑笑就离开了。徐姊妹不甘心，就转向同室的病友。而那位老阿姨则气愤地说：“我儿媳小卫就是你们的基督徒，但是，唉！她呀，正因为她，打死我也不会信你们的基督的。”
原来，小卫不孝顺婆婆，还常常在丈夫面前说婆婆坏话，挑拨丈夫与婆婆的关系，自私又专横，令婆婆对她的信仰也产生了厌恶之情。徐姊妹听老阿姨这样说，也就默然不语，拿起一本圣经来读。不料，一位打扫卫生的姐妹亲切地问：“你读的是圣经吧？”
在住院时见到主内家人，徐姊妹开心极了。随这位姐妹到她休息的一个小隔间，俩人手拉手祷告主。正祷告间，另一位扫地的姐妹听到了，也来相认。楼上一位姐妹听到楼下的祈祷声，也跑下来，团聚在这间小小的环卫工休憩室里。
徐姊妹问她们信仰情况，有一位会唱赞美诗；另一位不识字，还有一位也从没读过圣经。徐姊妹就给她们讲解圣经，用自己带的圣经给她们分享了许久，并相约住院时间每天来此相聚。
徐姊妹的病，渐渐康复；而她在此医院小小的团契，人数却在不断增加。由最初几位打扫卫生的姐妹，到后来一些病友加入，再到后来，连忙碌的护士也有来听的。徐姊妹每次分享都向他们强调：基督徒是有从主而来的大使命的。我们既要彼此相爱，更要传扬主的福音。我们得救不是目的，要为主救更多的灵魂，做主的工。让更多灵魂归向耶稣基督，得着救恩才是好的。
徐姊妹流着眼泪讲述，她原本还想突然病倒耽误了圣工；一开始时也看不到主垂听自己传福音的祈求得蒙应允，但是，后来她明白了：牧养，喂养主的小羊，在神家里做一个按时分粮的人，也是为主做工。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系河南一名基督徒。
愿做的心 必蒙悦纳——徐姊妹病中为主作工的见证
Taking on the Lord’s Great Commission, a female Christian named Xu Ruyun fell ill from exhaustion, as she bore witness to God in season and out of season.
Xu was about to serve at the church the other day, but when she woke up in the middle of the night, she suddenly felt dizzy and found that her voice was too hoarse to speak.
That night, she first asked another female believer to take over the holy work that she was about to host. When she arrived at the hospital, the doctor suggested that she be hospitalized immediately because she had high blood pressure and diabetes. During her stay in the hospital, Xu looked at the busy medical staff and the patients in the ward who were moaning in pain. She secretly begged the Lord, "O Lord! Since You have sent me among these people, please let me bear fruit for you and prepare their hearts to receive the gospel."
However, for many days, when Xu preached the gospel to the medical staff, doctors, and nurses always hurried away, shook their heads, or left with a polite smile. Xu was not reconciled to it, so she turned to her fellow patients. The old woman said angrily, "My daughter-in-law, Xiaowei, is also a Christian, for whom I would never believe in Christ."
It turned out that Xiaowei was not filial to her mother-in-law and often said to her husband how bad his mother was, sowing discord between her husband and her mother-in-law. She was selfish and bossy, which made her mother-in-law hate her beliefs. When Xu heard what the old woman said, she remained silent and started reading the Bible. Unexpectedly, a cleaning lady asked kindly, "Are you reading the Bible?"
Xu was very happy to meet members of God’s family when she was hospitalized. Following her to the cubicle where she rested, Xu held her hands and prayed to the Lord. While they were praying, another female Christian who swept the floor came to join them. Hearing the prayers downstairs, another female believer upstairs also ran down to “reunite” in this small sanitation worker's break room.
Xu asked them about their beliefs. One could sing hymns, another could not read, and the third had never read the scriptures. Xu explained the Bible she brought along to them for a long time and made an appointment to meet there every day during their hospital stay.
Xu gradually recovered from her illness, and her small fellowship at the hospital kept growing. First, there were a few Christian cleaners; later, some patients joined in, with busy nurses coming to listen to them. Xu emphasized that as Christians, they had a great commission from the Lord and should spread the gospel of the Lord, not just love each other. Not satisfied with their salvations, believers should lead more people to Jesus to be saved.
Xu said with tears that she originally thought that her service would be delayed due to illness and that she could not see the Lord answer her prayer of preaching the gospel. But later she understood she was also working for the Lord by distributing spiritual food according to the season as she nurtured believers in the hospital.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a believer in Henan Province.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Female Believer Witnesses for God During Hospitalization
