Before the winter holiday last year, I planned to return to my hometown this Spring Festival. We have not returned to our hometown to see our parents for five years because of work. And this year, my wife's holiday just happened to be at the time of the Festival, so we and the children were very excited about this treasured opportunity.
However, the night before New Year's Eve, my wife received a call from the hospital—all staff who had not yet left could not leave because of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. All we could do was get a refund on our tickets and spend the Spring Festival at home. We both were medical workers and needed to be available on the front line.
We have stayed at home for almost three months, and have only gone out to purchase daily necessities. Looking back, although there was depression, disappointment, concern, and darkness, I was still full of hope. The world is in His hands, who is with us all the time.
To describe what the pandemic has meant to me, I would select the following four terms: reserve, withdraw, construction, and new life.
Reserve:
At our disposal, we have reserves available including economic, relational, emotional, and our faith. We live in a traditional way without major expenses except for housing loans and daily living costs. We have saved money for unexpected needs, which gives a sense of security. Not having economic worries has helped us get through this extraordinary time.
At home, we could only communicate with friends online and via video chat. But fortunately, I still had many friends, brothers and sisters, and even friends that I rarely would see that we had time to chat with. Frequent contact with them gave me great comfort, making me not feel so alone at home. Families and our connections support us emotionally and socially.
But my strength also came from Jesus. Over the past decades, I have stored the strength that Jesus gave me. Jesus said that He must be resurrected and that He has overcome the darkness of this world. He walks with each of us and is in my heart.
Withdrawal:
The contact with my family has given me emotional comfort. Our families have always provided our most solid support.
Construction:
Jesus said that a house should be built on rock and not on the sand. Our wealth should be stored in heaven, not on the earth. These words gained deeper meaning during the pandemic. Our foundation was a good financial situation, strong relationships, health of our emotional life because of our family and their support, and our relationship with Jesus. Only when we build on these rocks can our lives be safe, and we can stand firmly in the wind and rain. We often value material wealth too much and spend too much to buy extra houses. But once the pandemic came and income declined, we were bound to be in trouble. And those invisible relationships and emotions were a valuable asset. The pandemic was building life for me, making me adjust and alert myself.
New life:
After this, I understood how to live in the future, how to see life and the world. I was like a bug in a cocoon, the moment when I broke out after sleeping and darkness, I would change to a new life form.
There is no experience that is wasted for those who pay attention to it. Everything created by God is there to help us to grow in our lives, and any experience of wind and rain could absorb the nutrients for life to grow.
We walked with Jesus, and had the teaching from Him: "I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full." (John 15:11)
- Translated By Elaina Wu
从四个点分享，疫情于我的意义
去年放寒假之前就计划好今年春节回老家。因为工作需要，我们已经有五年没有回老家与父母一起过春节了。今年妻子排班刚好轮到春节休假，这对我们来说真是奢侈品。我们和孩子都很兴奋。
但除夕的前一天晚上妻子接到医院的电话，所有没有离开的工作人员不能离开，随时准备应对重大疫情的发生。我只能退票，在家里度过这个春节。我们是医务工作者，这时候应该站在前面。
我们几乎在家里宅了三个月，其间除非购买生活用品，尽量减少无必要的外出。回想这几个月，虽然有压抑、失望、关切、至暗，但总体而言我还是满有盼望。这个世界永远在上帝手中，祂与我们同在，时时刻刻。
疫情之于我的意义，我想有四点值得我分享，那就是储备，支取，建造和新生命。
储备：
储备包括经济储备、关系储备、情感储备和信仰储备几个方面。我们一直生活地比较传统，除了房贷和生活支出之外，几乎没有其它的消费，剩下的钱我们一般都储存起来，以备不时之需。这种生活习惯让我觉得很有安全感。没有经济之忧，是我们度过非常时刻的基础。
在居家其间，一切只能网上来往，以前可以见到的朋友现在也只能视频聊天。但还好，我还有许多可以聊天的朋友和教会兄弟姐妹，甚至很少见面的外地朋友也因为居家，而增加了彼此联络的频次。与他们的频繁联系，给我莫大的安慰，让我虽然居家却不孤单。家人的平安和彼此的联络，是我们情感深处最柔弱之地的强大依托。
但我的力量依然来自耶稣。过去十几年让我储备了耶稣所给我的力量。耶稣说他必然复活，他已经战胜了这个世界的阴暗，他与我们每个人同行，他就在我的心里。
支取：
与家庭的联络，让我获得情感的安慰，家人永远是我们最坚实的依靠。
建造：
耶稣说房子要建在磐石之上，而不是建在沙子之上，财富要存在天上，而不是地上，这些话让我在疫情期间有了更深刻的体会。不论是我们的经济还是关系，还是与家人的情感，与耶稣的关系，都是我们的磐石，我们只有建立在这磐石之上，生命才能得到安全，才能任由风吹雨打而坚定屹立。我们平时太看重物质财富，透支财富去置办多余的房子，一旦疫情来临，收入下滑，就势必陷入困境。而那些看不到的关系和情感，与我们的物质一样，都是一笔不朽的财富。
因此，疫情对于我来说更是一场生命的建造，让我调整自己，警醒自己。
新生命：
经过这一场危机，让我明白以后该怎么生活，怎么看到生命和世界，我想我就像在茧里的虫子，经过沉睡和黑暗之后破茧而出的那一刻，就是一个新的生命形态。
没有任何一样事情，对于一个有心人来说是白白经历的。上帝创造的一切都是在建造我们的生命，经历的任何一次风雨之都能吸收生命成长的养分。
因为我们有耶稣同行，我们有耶稣的教导：“这些事我已经对你们说了，是要叫我的喜乐存在你们心里，并叫你们的喜乐可以满足。”(约翰福音 15:11 和合本)
Before the winter holiday last year, I planned to return to my hometown this Spring Festival. We have not returned to our hometown to see our parents for five years because of work. And this year, my wife's holiday just happened to be at the time of the Festival, so we and the children were very excited about this treasured opportunity.
However, the night before New Year's Eve, my wife received a call from the hospital—all staff who had not yet left could not leave because of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. All we could do was get a refund on our tickets and spend the Spring Festival at home. We both were medical workers and needed to be available on the front line.
We have stayed at home for almost three months, and have only gone out to purchase daily necessities. Looking back, although there was depression, disappointment, concern, and darkness, I was still full of hope. The world is in His hands, who is with us all the time.
To describe what the pandemic has meant to me, I would select the following four terms: reserve, withdraw, construction, and new life.
Reserve:
At our disposal, we have reserves available including economic, relational, emotional, and our faith. We live in a traditional way without major expenses except for housing loans and daily living costs. We have saved money for unexpected needs, which gives a sense of security. Not having economic worries has helped us get through this extraordinary time.
At home, we could only communicate with friends online and via video chat. But fortunately, I still had many friends, brothers and sisters, and even friends that I rarely would see that we had time to chat with. Frequent contact with them gave me great comfort, making me not feel so alone at home. Families and our connections support us emotionally and socially.
But my strength also came from Jesus. Over the past decades, I have stored the strength that Jesus gave me. Jesus said that He must be resurrected and that He has overcome the darkness of this world. He walks with each of us and is in my heart.
Withdrawal:
The contact with my family has given me emotional comfort. Our families have always provided our most solid support.
Construction:
Jesus said that a house should be built on rock and not on the sand. Our wealth should be stored in heaven, not on the earth. These words gained deeper meaning during the pandemic. Our foundation was a good financial situation, strong relationships, health of our emotional life because of our family and their support, and our relationship with Jesus. Only when we build on these rocks can our lives be safe, and we can stand firmly in the wind and rain. We often value material wealth too much and spend too much to buy extra houses. But once the pandemic came and income declined, we were bound to be in trouble. And those invisible relationships and emotions were a valuable asset. The pandemic was building life for me, making me adjust and alert myself.
New life:
After this, I understood how to live in the future, how to see life and the world. I was like a bug in a cocoon, the moment when I broke out after sleeping and darkness, I would change to a new life form.
There is no experience that is wasted for those who pay attention to it. Everything created by God is there to help us to grow in our lives, and any experience of wind and rain could absorb the nutrients for life to grow.
We walked with Jesus, and had the teaching from Him: "I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full." (John 15:11)
- Translated By Elaina Wu
Four Essentials during the Pandemic
