A Gift from Heaven Written by Jennifer Fu, Translatd by Eugene Wu More than a decade ago my husband was sent to Germany to develop the European market for his company. I resigned from my teaching job and went with him, taking our two young children. Time went by quickly. Our daughter’s education encountered no problems and went smoothly. Soon she had graduated from college and was working. Our son graduated from high school in June 2004, and was planning to apply for college.
Our son was not as focused in his study as his sister, and we were no help to him attending a school in Germany. The only thing we could do was to cheer him on from the sidelines. While he was not among the top in his class, we were sure that he would not have any problem getting into college. Our son, while an introvert, was sharp.
We thought College was guaranteed
Believing getting into college was no problem, he didn’t bother to apply for an apprentice’s job or any other kind of employment. My husband, forever the proud person, always took pride in our daughter’s smartness and industry. He also thought that although our son may not be that mature, getting into a college should be no problem. Although my husband didn’t talk about it, I knew he was going through a great deal of agony trying to compare our son with the sons of other Taiwanese businessmen in Germany. I was much better prepared to accept whatever may be in store for our son. I kept telling him: “Try your best. Grandma and I will pray for you. God will provide a way for you!”□
The atmosphere in our house in the next month or so was tense. Our quiet and introverted son seldom left the house. Germany was having a record-high unemployment rate at the time, and it was extremely hard for an inexperienced young person like him to find a job. Seeing how discouraged and disappointed he was becoming, I couldn’t bear to scold him. Instead I gave him encouragement, suggesting that he might consider joining the army for the sake of building up his physical strength, widening his horizons, and learning about group life.□ Perhaps he could find an apprentice’s job to give him time to find out where his true interest lay and wait until next year to re-apply for college.
Time was running out
Every weekend when my husband came home and found out our son had not taken any action, he would become very angry. But our son kept quiet and never responded to him. My husband blamed me for pampering our son, and even ridiculed me for praying, saying: “Our son has not changed a bit. Has God heard you?” It was hurt everyday. The words of encouragement from Grandma in Taipei became the greatest comfort to us during that time. She would always say, with great conviction，“Don’t be discouraged. Continue to pray, God already has found a university for him!” At times I would chalk that up to her muddle-headedness due to age.□ The admission notification date had long since passed.
On October 26 my husband took the advice of his older brother and called me and asked me to tell our son that if he still has not taken any action about what he wanted to do before December 30, he would order him to move out of the house! My husband’s ancestors came from Shandong and he served in the army. With that background his demands upon himself were high and upbringing in our family strict. Whether in study or work he has always been assiduous, unceasingly pushing forward. For him to make this kind of decision, I believe, was because he really wanted my son to better himself, and he had no other way to do it.
But for me, it was grief and helplessness. Our family was already scattered among three different places, and driving a twenty-year-old son out of the family on his first failure in life was simply too much. Even my husband had to take the college entrance examination twice before he succeeded! I called my mother for help, asking her to pray in earnest. I also asked those sisters I knew in our church to pray for God to point the way for us. For two days I constantly prayed in tears, seeking His comfort and blessing.
On October 28 a letter arrived for our son. My son and I opened it immediately. Can you believe it?□ It was from the notification center at Cologne University, informing him that he had been admitted into the Department of Economics of University of Gissen.
We never thought God would choose such a prominent university for him. My husband, who has not yet accepted Christ as his savior, would tell everybody that this is inexplicable; it must be “a gift from Heaven!” Grandma in Taipei said: “I told you God had chosen a good school for him. Only that you didn’t believe me!” Our daughter also said: “Mom, God really heard your prayers!”
Praise the Lord for His grace! When we are weak He gives us timely help, wipes off our tears, and turns predicaments into blessings. He is everyone’s eternal refuge and His support is as strong as the rock. Do you know our Heavenly Father? Let those who do stand firm in their faith and forever follow Him unwaveringly. For those who do not, come quickly to seek Him and let Him be the source of your life-long blessings!
My dear friends, are you facing a situation that seems hopeless? There is a God who cares about you and what you are going through. You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Saviour and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of woman you want me to be.
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, pray it right now and Christ will come into your life as He promised. If you invited Jesus Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you'll experience life to the fullest.
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