"I want to race against time and finish reading the Bible before leaving this world," Sister Chen Li often said before leaving the world to heaven.
Sister Chen, a former salesperson in a shopping mall in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, quit her job to recover at home since she fell ill during the Spring Festival in February 2016. During her recuperation period, she began to read the Bible. The doctor diagnosed her with motor neuron disease, also called "gradual freezing" which is quite rare.
She spent more than two years reading through the Bible. Soon after she finished the task, she passed away in the fall of that year.
She once introduced herself in the church and said that she was 41 years old and believed in the Lord at the age of 16, being baptized four years later. Although she was very busy with work at that time, she went to the Shilipu Church to worship God every Sunday.
When her illness became worse, she was not able to speak. Sister Wan shared her testimony by texting on her mobile phone for her. Sister Wan read her testimony in tears, and she stood by silently with tears streaming down her face.
Her mother's aunt preached the gospel to her and she was baptized without a full understanding of faith. She was a nominal Christian, as she went to church on Sunday and forgot the sermon after the service. She didn't want to grow closer to God.
It wasn't until she got sick and stayed home that she began to kneel in front of God and weep bitterly, examine herself, confess her sins, and start to read the Bible every day. Little by little, she became closer and closer to God, even though she had no touch of the holy spirit, no revelation given by God or a gentle whisper.
The Bible says that if you come near to God, God will come near to you! God is close to the brokenhearted, and never despises a broken and contrite heart! So she prayed to God every day and begged God to heal her illness. She also started to read the Bible carefully and listened to online sermons.
She came close to the Lord with a humble and repentant heart and learned more as she read the Bible.
But her condition became worse. She coughed when drinking water and eating and swallowing became difficult for her. She couldn’t fasten the buttons on her dress because of weakened fingers, and she couldn’t hold a bowl for a few seconds due to muscle weakness. Thanks to the strength in her legs, she kept coming to church.
She said reading the Bible and listening to the sermons gave her infinite spiritual energy. Despise her illness, she was grateful and thanked the Lord for the gift of life and for giving her the courage to survive.
Later, her health condition became worse, as she could not read the Bible aloud and turn the pages of the Bible with her fingers.
In desperation, she begged her daughter, husband, and mother to turn the pages of the Bible so she could read. She could only read word by word with her eyes and was not able to talk. Because of the deterioration of her condition, after reading for a while, she had to lie down and rest. When she felt a little bit stronger, she got up again and continued reading.
One day in April 2019, Chen completed the task of reading through the Bible. The wish she made two years ago was finally fulfilled.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
我要与时间赛跑，在离开这个世界之前要读完圣经。”这是陈丽姊妹在离开世界到天家前，常常给笔者说的一句话。
陈姊妹，曾是陕西宝鸡市一家商场的营业员，自打2016年2月过春节期间她生病后，就辞职在家养病。养病期间她开始读圣经，她得的这种病最终经西安西京医院确诊为“运动神经元病”，也就是人们常说也非常罕见的“渐冻人”病。
她通读这一遍的圣经，整整用了两年多的时间。她在生命的最后时刻，终于完成了通读圣经全本的愿望。 她读完圣经后不久，就在当年的秋天去世了。
陈丽姊妹在教会彩虹团契活动日曾介绍过自己。她说自己41岁，在16岁就信了主，满20岁时受的洗。那时虽然工作很忙，但她都会坚持礼拜天到十里铺堂听道作礼拜。
记得有一次，她上台分享了自己在病中是如何克服困难读圣经的见证。这时候的她，已经不能出声说话了，是让万姊妹上台，代她读手机上自己写的分享见证。万姊妹含泪读她的见证，她会站在一旁默默泪流满面的陪着。
当时她对大家说：“我叫陈丽，是我妈妈的姑姑给我传的福音。虽然当时受洗成了基督徒，那时是在不太懂的情况下稀里糊涂跟着信了耶稣。信主后没有继续追求与神亲近，是个挂名的基督徒，只是在星期天去教会，听完牧者证道就忘到耳后。
直到我生病辞职在家休息后，才开始跪在神面前痛哭流涕的反省自己，检视自己，认罪悔改向神祷告，开始每天读圣经。尽管当时我没有神的感动，也没有任何启示，也没有听见神的微小声音，但我在一点一点地靠近神，与神亲近。
圣经上说，你若亲近神，神就亲近你！神靠近伤心痛悔的人，痛悔忧伤的灵神必不轻看！我就这样每天向神祷告，求神医治我的病，也开始了认真读圣经，同时在网上听牧者们的讲道。
渐渐我明白了好多，从此我的心不再飘了，是在用谦卑下来的心和悔改的心来追求与主靠近。
现在的我，病情越来越严重。吃饭下咽都比以前差了，喝水沧咳。两手腕有点力，手指没力气，扣子都扣不上。胳膊很是没力量，拿起一只碗坚持几秒钟就得下垂了。就是两条腿还有点力量，让我坚持着来到教会，来到大家面前。
通过读圣经，听神的话，给了我精神上的无穷力量。虽然我的肢体这样了，但我也要感恩，感谢主给了我属灵的生命，感谢主给了我存活下去的勇气……”
再后来，她说，她现在的病情愈来愈严重，在读圣经时已不能出声说话了，手指连翻圣经的力气都没有了。
无奈中，她求自己的女儿、丈夫、妈妈为她翻过已读过的圣经书页，在不能发声读的情况下，只能用眼睛一个字一个字的用心去读。由于病情恶化的原因，她说读一会儿，就得躺下休息。待感到有点力气了，她再爬起来接着读。
在2019年4月份的一天，陈丽姊妹说她终于实现了自己两年前许下的愿望，通读一遍圣经的任务完成了。
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/saK_c4tmY9sep0gVtUjTrg
“渐冻人”姊妹：我要与时间赛跑，在离开世界前读完《圣经》
"I want to race against time and finish reading the Bible before leaving this world," Sister Chen Li often said before leaving the world to heaven.
Sister Chen, a former salesperson in a shopping mall in Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, quit her job to recover at home since she fell ill during the Spring Festival in February 2016. During her recuperation period, she began to read the Bible. The doctor diagnosed her with motor neuron disease, also called "gradual freezing" which is quite rare.
She spent more than two years reading through the Bible. Soon after she finished the task, she passed away in the fall of that year.
She once introduced herself in the church and said that she was 41 years old and believed in the Lord at the age of 16, being baptized four years later. Although she was very busy with work at that time, she went to the Shilipu Church to worship God every Sunday.
When her illness became worse, she was not able to speak. Sister Wan shared her testimony by texting on her mobile phone for her. Sister Wan read her testimony in tears, and she stood by silently with tears streaming down her face.
Her mother's aunt preached the gospel to her and she was baptized without a full understanding of faith. She was a nominal Christian, as she went to church on Sunday and forgot the sermon after the service. She didn't want to grow closer to God.
It wasn't until she got sick and stayed home that she began to kneel in front of God and weep bitterly, examine herself, confess her sins, and start to read the Bible every day. Little by little, she became closer and closer to God, even though she had no touch of the holy spirit, no revelation given by God or a gentle whisper.
The Bible says that if you come near to God, God will come near to you! God is close to the brokenhearted, and never despises a broken and contrite heart! So she prayed to God every day and begged God to heal her illness. She also started to read the Bible carefully and listened to online sermons.
She came close to the Lord with a humble and repentant heart and learned more as she read the Bible.
But her condition became worse. She coughed when drinking water and eating and swallowing became difficult for her. She couldn’t fasten the buttons on her dress because of weakened fingers, and she couldn’t hold a bowl for a few seconds due to muscle weakness. Thanks to the strength in her legs, she kept coming to church.
She said reading the Bible and listening to the sermons gave her infinite spiritual energy. Despise her illness, she was grateful and thanked the Lord for the gift of life and for giving her the courage to survive.
Later, her health condition became worse, as she could not read the Bible aloud and turn the pages of the Bible with her fingers.
In desperation, she begged her daughter, husband, and mother to turn the pages of the Bible so she could read. She could only read word by word with her eyes and was not able to talk. Because of the deterioration of her condition, after reading for a while, she had to lie down and rest. When she felt a little bit stronger, she got up again and continued reading.
One day in April 2019, Chen completed the task of reading through the Bible. The wish she made two years ago was finally fulfilled.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
A Faithful Sister Finishes Reading through Bible before She Dies
