By Qu Cong

“Ring, ring, ring,” Qu Cong picked up the phone. On the other end of the line, all she could hear was her son’s small faint voice, “Mom, my legs are broken. Quickly get some money and bring it to the hospital!” Then immediately she heard a stranger’s voice saying urgently, “Come quickly! Your son fell from a bridge. Both his legs are broken. Bring plenty of money. The ambulance is on its way. Quickly! Quickly!” The call had come from the site of her son’s accident, and before Qu Cong even had a chance to react, the phone was hung up.

Qu Cong was stunned by this abrupt phone call. She had no time to think. She picked up some money and rushed toward the hospital …

Late at night in the emergency room, doctors struggle to save Qu Cong’s son.

Forty minutes later, Qu Cong made it to the county hospital. As soon as she got out of the car, she rushed to the emergency room, where she found the doctors busy giving her son a full body exam. Qu Cong looked at her son; his legs bruised and swollen. Qu Cong was distraught, and tears began rolling down her face.

At that point, a doctor came running out of the emergency room and said to Qu Cong: “The first round of tests shows that the bones in your son’s left calf leg, and his right thigh are broken. His right collar bone and two of his ribs are fractured. He also has internal injuries. His lungs are seriously damaged and there’s bleeding in his chest cavity. He could lose his life at any time. We have to try and save him immediately. You’d better sign here right away!”

Hearing that her son could lose his life at any time, Qu Cong felt as if her heart were breaking. Trembling, she signed her name. She thought of her son—only twenty-five years old. If his injuries were so serious, could his life really be saved; and if he died, how could she go on living? Her husband was still working abroad and wouldn’t be able to make it back for some time. How was she supposed to deal with this on her own? Qu Cong grew more and more afraid. In her heart, all she could do was cry out to God, again and again: “Oh God! I don’t know how to face something this bad. I’m begging You to guide me! Oh God!” Then, in the midst of her prayer, she remembered God’s words: “People’s faith is required when something cannot be seen by the naked eye, and your faith is required when you cannot let go of your own notions. When you do not have clarity about God’s work, what is required of you is to have faith and to take a firm stance and stand witness. When Job reached this point, God appeared to him and spoke to him. That is, it is only from within your faith that you will be able to see God, and when you have faith God will perfect you” (“Those Who Are to Be Made Perfect Must Undergo Refinement”). God’s words encouraged her. Now, she understood. God is almighty; God is sovereign; God presides over man’s life and death. It was God who would decide whether her son lived or died: It didn’t matter what the doctor said. She should maintain her trust in God and rely on Him to help her face this crisis. No matter what happened, she should submit to God’s sovereignty, not complain to Him. Guided by God’s words, Qu Cong felt a little stronger.

At that point, the driver, who had brought her son into the hospital said: “That guy is really strong. Nobody at the scene of the accident thought he was going to live. After his motorbike broke through the railings around the bridge, he landed on the only patch of grass below: The ground around it was all stones. If he’d landed on them, he would have died on the spot.” Hearing what the driver said, Qu Cong thought that for her son to have survived so dangerous a situation, God must already have been protecting him. In her heart, she thanked God again and again.

After a while, her son’s left leg was set in plaster cast and the heel of his right foot was run through with a steel rod as thick as a small finger; from this rod were hung two weights—each of more than 5kg, pulling his heel down. Looking at this scene, Qu Cong’s heart ached. As she stood looking in at him through the window, she felt so much pain. In her heart, again and again she prayed to God, beseeching Him. She struggled on until four o’clock in the morning, at which time a nurse told her that her son’s condition was critical, that the care at the county hospital wasn’t up to standard, and that he would need to be transferred without delay. Hearing this, Qu Cong didn’t dare ignore the nurse’s words, and immediately she asked the doctor to prepare to have her son transferred.

After his condition deteriorates, Qu Cong’s son is transferred to the provincial hospital. Meanwhile, he falls into a coma.

The ambulance rushed all the way to the hospital in the provincial capital. By the time they arrived, Qu Cong’s son, Xiaozhuang, had already fallen into a coma. It didn’t matter how much she shouted at or shook him, he didn’t react at all. Qu Cong was inconsolable. Urgently, she told the doctor: “My son can’t hear what I say to him. Save him quickly!” A chest specialist looked at the x-rays from the county hospital, and then said to Qu Cong: “Take him immediately to the ICU for emergency care. We have to treat his lungs if we’re going to save his life, otherwise he could die at any time. Family members go quickly to deal with the hospital admissions process and pay the medical fees.” Hearing this, the doctors and nurses rushed Xiaozhuang to the ICU. As she waited in the midst of this torment, Qu Cong, weak and helpless, cried out to God, over and over. Slowly, she became less frightened. She didn’t know how much time had passed when the doctor finally came out of intensive care and told her that for now, Xiaozhuang was still showing signs of life but was still not out of danger. The doctor asked her to prepare to pay 400 thousand yuan in medical fees. Hearing that her son was still alive, Qu Cong, her heart in her mouth, finally felt some relief.

That evening, Qu Cong tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She kept thinking about her son, covered in wounds and still in a coma; and she still needed to find the money to pay an exorbitant medical fee as soon as possible. She felt so anxious she could hardly breathe. She looked up at the ceiling, tears streaming down, and in her heart, she cried out with great strength: “Oh God! I feel so helpless; I’m willing for You to help me; give me strength.” After she had prayed, Qu Cong remembered God’s words: “While undergoing trials, it is normal for people to be weak, or to have negativity within them, or to lack clarity on God’s will or their path for practice. But in any case, you must have faith in God’s work, and not deny God, just like Job. Although Job was weak and cursed the day of his own birth, he did not deny that all things in human life were bestowed by Jehovah, and that Jehovah is also the One to take them all away. No matter how he was tested, he maintained this belief. … People’s faith is required when something cannot be seen by the naked eye, and your faith is required when you cannot let go of your own notions. When you do not have clarity about God’s work, what is required of you is to have faith and to take a firm stance and stand witness. When Job reached this point, God appeared to him and spoke to him. That is, it is only from within your faith that you will be able to see God, and when you have faith God will perfect you” (“Those Who Are to Be Made Perfect Must Undergo Refinement”).

Through her tears, she contemplated God’s words over and over and she realized that her faith was really very weak. When she wasn’t facing any problems or undergoing any trials, she would often say, “God is almighty, God rules over all. With God’s guidance, we can triumph over any adversity.” But now her son had had his accident and fallen into a coma, her trust in God had disappeared without a trace. Inside, she was cowering and afraid. Only then did she see that she was a woman of little faith. Thinking over God’s words, she understood. Real faith arises from the midst of trials and difficulties. Only by undergoing hardships can people have true faith in God. It was just like when Job faced his terrible trials. All his livestock were stolen and burned; when his house collapsed, his ten children were crushed to death, and then, his whole body broke out in sores. Though he suffered greatly, he didn’t utter one word of complaint. In fact, he was still able to praise the name of God, to submit to God taking those things away, and finally, to stand and bear witness to God. Satan was thus thoroughly humiliated and defeated. Qu Cong recognized that the reason Job was able to stand and bear witness to God was that he trusted in God’s sovereignty: He trusted that all his property and his children were a gift from God. No matter when these things were taken from him, he should submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements. It was because he reasoned in this way that, in the midst of his trials, Job was able to submit to God, and to stand and bear witness to God. Qu Cong knew she was a person with an immature stature, that she had no real faith, and that she certainly could not compare herself to Job. Yet, she was willing to follow Job’s example: Facing trials, she wouldn’t complain to God. Instead, she would place all her faith in Him; look to Him—whatever she came up against. Qu Cong believed that whether her son’s injuries would heal, whether she could find the money for his treatment, was in God’s hands. There was no use in her worrying; she needed only to submit to God. To rely on God—that was all she had to do. In her heart, Qu Cong prayed: “Oh God! I know Your word can accomplish anything. Everything is in Your hands. I’m the one who is weak. I beg You to bolster my faith and give me the strength to rise up. I’m willing to place everything in Your hands.” After she had prayed, Qu Cong had the confidence to face her difficulties.

She waited anxiously for visiting time until two o’clock that afternoon and went into the hospital ward. She saw her son lying there, a tube coming from his mouth, his hands tied to the bedrails with lengths of fabric. His left leg was fixed in plaster cast, and his right leg bruised and swollen. His heel remained weighted down with two 5kg weights, and his chest was wrapped around with white bandages. His whole body was swollen, and he was only breathing with the aid of a respirator; his bed was completely surrounded by machines. His eyes were tightly closed. Both his thighs, his underarms and his throat were covered in ice to reduce his fever. Qu Cong touched him with her hand: His whole body was boiling hot. Confronted by this scene, Qu Cong was terribly afraid. Silently, she prayed: “Oh God! Seeing my son like this, it’s so hard to bear. I beg You to strengthen my faith.” At that point, Qu Cong suddenly remembered: In the Bible, Lazarus had been dead for four days; his body had begun to smell; but the Lord Jesus had only to utter a single sentence: “Lazarus, come forth (John 11:43),” and Lazarus walked out from the tomb. Such is God’s authority. Her son was in this state for now, but if God didn’t want him to die, then no matter how serious his injuries, God could turn things around. At that thought, Qu Cong prayed to God once again. “Oh God! I believe that my son’s life and death are in Your hands. I’m willing to give my heart over to Your protection. Whether my son lives or dies, I am willing to submit myself to Your sovereignty and Your arrangements.”

Then, Qu Cong’s nephew came in and told her that they already had enough for the medical fees. Qu Cong had never imagined that the money would be raised so quickly. In her heart, she thanked God again and again. God says, “He is really and truly standing guard to your left and right, supplying your life, and controlling your destiny. He is not on the remote horizon, nor has He secreted Himself high up in the clouds. He is right by your side, presiding over your all, He is everything that you have, and He is the only thing you have” (“Knowing God Is the Path to Fearing God and Shunning Evil”). Now, Qu Cong really experienced that God was by her side, accompanying her, and revealing His deeds to her. She also realized that, in the midst of her troubles, it was only God she could rely upon. Apart from God, absolutely no one could bring her any spiritual peace or consolation.

Qu Cong’s son “wakes up,” but remains unresponsive: The doctor diagnoses him as being in a permanent vegetative state

Several days later, Qu Cong’s son finally “woke up.” Qu Cong’s heart jumped in excitement. But when she looked at her son’s eyes, slightly open, she saw that they were lifeless. No matter how much she called to him, there was no response. Feeling stuck, Qu Cong hurriedly asked the doctor: “Is my son not awake?” “He’s only opened his eyes,” replied the doctor. “His brain is still active, but he’s not really conscious. The situation isn’t hopeful. It’s possible he won’t ever be able to wake up, he might be like this forever, in something like a vegetative state….”

The doctor’s words felt like a knife to her heart: There was no way she could accept this situation. Qu Cong continued to call her son’s name, but at no point did he react. She really couldn’t accept what she was seeing. Her son, her cheerful, handsome, loyal son—was he really going to end up in a vegetative state? Just as she was about to collapse, Qu Cong thought of God; she thought of how, over the past few days, God had led her through one crisis after another. She just needed to calm down.

The next day, the results from the CT scan of her son’s brain came out. Solemnly, the doctor told her: “The CT scan results have confirmed that your son is in a vegetative state: He’s not conscious. You need to prepare yourself.” Qu Cong’s brain was completely blank. She felt hopeless. She certainly hadn’t expected that things would turn out this way. In her heart, she cried to God, “My God! Is this really how it ends? Is my son really going to end up in a vegetative state?” Qu Cong completely collapsed.

Then suddenly, she thought about God’s word: “For Job’s heart was pure, and not hidden from God, and his humanity was honest and kind-hearted, and he loved justice and that which was positive. Only a man like this who was possessed of such a heart and humanity was able to follow the way of God, and capable of fearing God and shunning evil. Such a man could see God’s sovereignty, could see His authority and power, and was able to achieve obedience to His sovereignty and arrangements. Only a man such as this could truly praise God’s name. That is because he did not look at whether God would bless him or bring disaster upon him, because he knew that everything is controlled by the hand of God, and that for man to worry is a sign of foolishness, ignorance, and irrationality, of doubt toward the fact of God’s sovereignty over all things, and of not fearing God” (“God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself II”). Where before it was full of darkness and worry, Qu Cong’s heart was suddenly suffused with the light of God’s word. She thought of Job’s kind and honest heart; of how his heart loved truth and positive things. In his attitude toward God, he was also very rational. In the midst of his trials, he didn’t worry or doubt. He knew everything he had was given him by God, and that even if he lost everything, he shouldn’t complain to or deny God. Job recognized these things. He knew that whether God gave him blessings, or brought disaster upon him, he should continue to revere God, shun evil and submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements. He never ceased to trust in or submit to God. God loved the honesty and kindness of Job’s humanity, and God praised Job’s submission to and reference for Him in the midst of trials. That is why God appeared to and spoke to Job, as well as doubled His blessings upon him. Qu Cong thought of how she had approached her own trials: She hadn’t truly submitted to God. She had told Him in prayer that she trusted Him, and submitted to His sovereignty. However, when facing the prospect that her son might remain in a vegetative state, she still hadn’t submitted to God. In fact, she’d fallen into suffering and despair. In her heart, she’d complained to God and made unreasonable demands of Him. She couldn’t submit to God with a pure and honest heart. How could a human being like that recognize God’s mightiness and authority in ruling over everything? Once she understood this, Qu Cong felt ashamed. She also understood her son’s situation was completely in God’s hands. Whether or not his condition improved, she couldn’t lose trust in God or complain against God. With the word of God guiding her, Qu Cong gained an inner strength. Turning to God in prayer, she said: “Oh God! Our lives are always in Your hands. My son’s life is in Your hands. I won’t worry about him anymore. If he wakes up, it will be a blessing from You; and if he doesn’t, I certainly won’t complain to You. Whatever happens, I will trust You and praise You!”

A miracle happens: After he is deemed to be in a permanent vegetative state, Qu Cong’s son suddenly wakes up.

Several days later, Qu Cong came to her son’s bedside and gently spoke his name. To her surprise, her son’s eyes moved a little. Taken aback, Qu Cong looked at her son, not quite daring to believe what she was seeing. She shouted excitedly: “Doctor, my son’s awake. My son’s awake!” The doctor heard her shout and came rushing over. He looked at Qu Cong’s startled, joyous expression and said suspiciously: “That’s not possible. He has absolutely no awareness; how could he be awake?” As he spoke, he walked over to the bed and took hold of Xiaozhuang’s hand; then he said: “Grip my hand.” Xiaozhuang reacted. Seeing this, the doctor was stunned. In her heart, Qu Cong excitedly called to God: “Almighty God! I thank and praise You. This is all thanks to Your wonderful deeds.”

At that time, Qu Cong thought of God’s words, that say: “The Creator’s authority and power are extraordinary, limitless, superlative to all, and stand above all, and, moreover, because His authority and what He has and is can create life, produce miracles, and create each and every spectacular and extraordinary minute and second. At the same time, He is able to govern the life that He creates and hold sovereignty over the miracles and each and every minute and second that He creates” (“God Himself, the Unique I”). Qu Cong truly saw God’s authority, and felt the full extent of God’s sovereignty. Only God could perform this miracle: Only God could create the miracle of life. A man deemed to be in a permanent vegetative state coming back to life—God’s deeds are truly wonderful!

Her son miraculously recovers, Qu Cong gives thanks for God’s authority and omnipotence.

Shortly afterward, Qu Cong’s son had an operation on the bone in his right leg. Having personally experienced God’s almighty sovereignty, Qu Cong was no longer so worried or afraid. She believed that the success or failure of her son’s operation would be dictated by God. At four thirty in the afternoon, the eight and a half hour operation came to an end and Qu Cong’s son was pushed out of the operating theater. He was in a good state of mind. “Are you in pain, son?” asked Qu Cong. Xiaozhuang calmly shook his head. The family members of the other patients in the ward all looked at Xiaozhuang and said: “You can really bear a lot of pain, you didn’t shout at all. Having a bone reset can be so painful.” Xiaozhuang shook his head and said: “It didn’t hurt, it really didn’t hurt.” Qu Cong knew that it had all been thanks to God’s protection.

One month later, the doctors gave Xiaozhuang another full body exam. The doctor looked at the x-ray and said to Qu Cong in surprise, “It’s fantastic: Your son’s lungs have recovered so well. It’s as if he was never injured. His ribs and collar bone have recovered well too, and since the operation, his left calf and right thigh have aligned themselves nicely. His condition’s many times better than I imagined it would be. It really is incredible! Your son had such a bad fall, and it’s only been a month—he’s recovered so quickly. It really is a miracle!” Qu Cong couldn’t find the words with which to thank and praise God. She was clear: Her son had recovered so well, completely because of God’s miraculous deeds. It was God who had healed her son’s injuries. Qu Cong thought of the four living creatures from the Book of Revelation in the Bible; how they had witnessed God’s great and formidable authority and praised Him day and night. Now Qu Cong had experienced God’s authority. She knew that compared to the four living creatures she has only a superficial understanding. However, after experiencing the events surrounding her son’s accident, she truly saw that God’s authority was unparalleled. In her heart, she thanked and praised God over and over.

After forty-six days of treatment in the hospital her son was discharged. Two months after arriving home, he could walk with a crutch, and six months later he didn’t need a crutch at all. Now he is completely healthy again. Qu Cong sometimes thinks back to her son’s motorbike accident, those scenes in the hospital, the pain and helplessness she felt. She knows that God was always there, by her side, His words bolstering her faith, leading her through one crisis after another. She thinks of God, wonderful and unfathomable, knowing that she has personally experienced His almighty sovereignty. She feels her heart drawing closer and closer to God, having found some true faith in Him. Qu Cong understands what she gained from this experience was the most valuable wealth she has ever gained from her faith in God. It was also this experience that formed the basis of her faith. Now, whatever difficulties she comes up against, she is open to experience God’s work with faith, leading her to a greater, truer recognition of God.