I had nothing to do with it …

But I know who did

By Linda Yat

We are going to mother’s funeral,” my husband Henry announced to me and the children.

I was apprehensive because I knew it would be a traditional Chinese religious funeral with all the rituals and religious traditions. 

I had recently become a Christian and was determined not to participate in the religious worship but Henry did not have such strong beliefs. 

He  being the eldest son would be expected to do all the duties, especially with all the relatives present. There was no way to avoid it.

I began to pray fervently that somehow God would provide a way of escape for our family. I got my cell members to support me in prayer.

ON ARRIVAL at the ancestral home, the monks and nuns were doing their ceremonies, the air filling with the smell of burning incense with the coffin in the middle of the room.

They began telling those present what their part would be in the procedure.  Henry was to carry the incense urn at the head of the line. 

Surprisingly the elder aunt intercepted, ‘’Henry you don’t carry the urn.  You carry Mom’s photo.’’

Next the grandchildren would hold the joss sticks to walk around the coffin.  I was praying frantically, ‘’Oh Lord, please help us….” 

Henry called them forward and handed them the joss sticks.  Six- year- old Rebecca took them in her hands and immediately cried out, ‘’Ouch, it’s hot!’’ and dropped them onto the floor. I quickly took her to the bathroom to wash her hands. 

Rosalyn and David on seeing their older sister’s cries then refused to hold the joss sticks.  No scolding from Henry could make them do it.

Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you know not…’’

After everything was over Henry accosted me.  He accused me of telling the children not to hold the joss sticks and to pretend they were hot. I told him I had nothing to do with it.

I pointed out that I too was perplexed by the incident.  Careful examination showed that at that time the joss sticks were still not lighted.  Besides Rebecca was holding the wooden stick and not the incense section.

Being so young she could not have been acting.

Eventually Henry had to agree with me that God performed a miracle, a supernatural act that revealed so clearly that He’s Almighty God who answers prayer.

There are 4 miracles recorded in 2 Kings 4:1-44.

1. First, a widow who comes to Elisha saying that a creditor has come to take her two sons is saved
….through the miraculous supply of oil (2 Kings 4: 1-7).

2. When Elisha stays in the home of a wealthy woman in Shunem, he predicts that she will have a
….son – a prophecy which is fulfilled. At a certain point of his life, this son got ill and dies but is
….miraculously brought back to life through Elisha’s prayers (2 Kings 4:8-37).

3. When some students at the school of the prophets are eating stew which was poisoned, Elisha
….again intervenes and produced a miracle (2 Kings 4:38-41).

4. A further miracle is the feeding of 100 men with only twenty loaves of bread (2 Kings 4:42-44).

Do you  believe that God works miracles today? Are you facing a dead-end situation that spells impossibility? If you are in desperate need of God’s miracle, just turn and put your total trust in Him. 

Jesus said: “With man … is impossible but with God all things are possible”
(Matt 19:26).

RETURN TO OUR HOMEPAGE:

Share

One Comment

  1. October/November 2018 Feedback from readers for: about: I had nothing to do with it. ISSUE 44

    I wish I had that kind of Faith and Determination.
    Yes, when we go back to
    To visit relatives especially
    Non Christian Believers, we struggle to know what we should do.
    In my case, I did not want to upset or cause any problems during my husband’s brother’s funeral
    In Malaysia. I was prepared to hold the joss sticks and asking for God’s
    Forgiveness at the same time….”Amazingly..another
    brother of Albert, knowing that I am a Christian, took the joss sticks and said I do not need to follow the ritual of traditions…
    Our Lord is Great.
    What an amazing intervention!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *