Thanksgiving

Praise God! Dad's health is mending. His appetite is gradually restored and we are hoping to wean him off painkillers within this couple of days.

Last Saturday evening, my dad was resting after a bout of vomiting. I sensed that he was still rather worried about why he is still feeling pain after Dr Yap has given the “all clear”. There was a strong leading in my heart to pray for him to grant him peace. But how? My vocabulary of Chinese prayer is so limited!

The time window was closing. He started walking to his room at 930pm, and I still hadn’t received anything pointers from the cell group yet. Still, I went ahead and asked dad if he would let me pray for him. To my surprise, he stopped and agreed, and even allowed me to lay my hand on him! I said a very simple prayer in faith： “慈爱的天父，谢谢你让我们从医生口中知道爸爸的身体没有设么大病。希望你能让爸爸的身体变好，明天起来肚子不会在痛了。这样祷告是奉主耶穌盛名请求，阿门”。

As I reflect upon this entire episode, I give thanks for His faithfulness to me. For the opportunity to bless my own family, to tell them that I love them, to pray for my father. It has also drawn my family closer together.

I give thanks also for friends who are willing to stand by me and my family in love. For my cell group who prayed faithfully alongside me; for friends who offered to visit my dad.

Yet through this period, there was only one bible verse that was ever sent to me for encouragement - Psalms 125:1-2: “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”

And how timely. It came at mid-week when I was completely feeling drained, physically and emotionally. In my prayer requests I asked for prayers only for my dad, but not for myself. And there I was, ill and weary, hanging onto that last bit of faith. So thank you for the verse, for it affirmed me and refilled my hope in God in my time of need. I may not have replied then, but it was precious.