In 2002, my wife and I accepted God’s work of the last days. Through reading God’s words, I knew that man’s life comes from God and each person’s fate in life is ruled over and arranged by God. However, in actual life, I was busy earning money and seldom attended meetings and read God’s words. So I didn’t have much knowledge of God’s sovereignty. It was only after I had an accident and personally experienced God’s wonderful protection for me that I had some understanding of His almightiness and sovereignty and realized that God was my very present reliance.
My Reliance in the Crisis
One day in September of 2006, some construction workers and I were building a house for a family in a neighboring village. At 12 o’clock, after we propped up the steel formworks on the third floor, there remained the labor contractor, two laborers, and me on the top of the building. The labor contractor was working in the corner. While waiting for a laborer to pass me steel tubes, I was standing on the edge of the eaves and leaning forward to check the eaves, thinking how to fix the joints. At this moment, the laborer was passing me a steel tube from the left. I was frightened at the sight of that and thought, “The high-tension wires are only 50 centimeters away from the left side of the roof. If by any chance the steel tube touches the high-tension wire, it will be a terrible thing.” Before I could remind him, I felt a kind of heavy current instantly surge through my entire body. My legs felt weak, and then I knelt down with a flop. Out of instinct, I seized a steel tube nearby with my left hand when I fell. At the time, all the steel formworks on the roof had already been electrified. I lay prone on the edge of the roof, twitching unceasingly. I felt an unspeakable sharp pain like tens of thousand needles were stinging me. After a moment, my whole body became numb and lost all feeling; only my brain was conscious. I clearly realized that the steel tube had touched the high-tension wire, which caused the steel tube and formworks to be electrified. That would be the kiss of death! In panic and helplessness, I didn’t know what to do, much less did I know whether I could survive. Who could help me when I was in the crisis? I truly felt that death was drawing nearer to me. Subconsciously, I just wanted to seize the steel tube firmly so as to steady my sliding body; however, my arms were weak and had no strength at all. I was filled with despair and helplessness; I had no other choice but to passively bear the electric current coursing through my body. The pain, which was like worm bites, made me suffer greater than death.
Suddenly, I thought of the communication of brothers and sisters that God is almighty and we should rely on Him at crucial times. It’s true! Why did I forget God? Immediately I seemed to see the hope and called out to God urgently, “O God! Please help me! Protect me so that I can tide over the crisis. …” After praying, I felt less fear. About two or three minutes later, I felt somebody was pulling my coat from behind and calling my name loudly. Then I realized that the labor contractor, who was standing in the corner not far away, seized the back of my coat. God had heard my prayer and made the labor contractor seize me, which retarded the sliding of my body. I kept thanking God in my heart. Although the labor contractor was doing his best to seize me, my body had become U-shaped; most of my upper body had already slipped out of the steel formworks and was hanging on the edge of the eaves. I could fall at any time.
I felt extremely frightened, because I was clear that neither the labor contractor nor I could resist the electric shock, and that he had no way of pulling me onto the roof. I thought hopelessly, “I’m afraid I would either get electrocuted or break my neck after falling off the nine-meter-high building. It seems that I can’t escape death.” Thinking about this, I felt extremely distressed: I don’t want to die, but there is no other choice. At this very time, I felt deeply that, life is so fragile and vulnerable in the face of disaster, and that money is so worthless in the face of life…. At the critical moment, I thought of the words my wife often said to me, “It’s very dangerous to work high above the ground. If there should be an accident, remember to pray much to God and rely on Him. Only God is our refuge, and He rules over and commands all things. He will open up a path for you if you pray to Him.” I knew this thought came from God, and that I should rely on God. Therefore, I called out to God in my heart again, “O God! Please keep me! Whether I would die or be alive today is entrusted into Your hands. …” About two minutes later, I was suddenly pulled back onto the roof. Then I realized it was the labor contractor that pulled me up. It was quite a while before I came to my senses. I had never expected that I could survive. I had heard that once someone was struck by high voltage electricity, he would undoubtedly die. Even though I had been shocked for so long, I was still alive and well. It’s really a miracle! I was so excited that I didn’t know what to do. I was very thankful that because of my belief in God, God was my reliance when I was in the crisis. I kept thanking God in my heart. In the time of my most pain, helplessness, and despair, it was God that saved me and gave me the chance to survive.
Seeing God’s Deeds With Joy After the Danger
Having been freed from danger, I saw the laborer lying motionless on his back on the formwork with his eyes and mouth wide open. The corners of his mouth were bleeding and there was a hole in his right shoe because of the electric shock, which exposed his burnt and blackened little toe. I was petrified by the sight of that, and thought to myself, “Was he electrocuted?” At this moment, the labor contractor, looking rather pale, said to me in a quivering voice, “Buddy, you don’t know how dangerous it was just now. The steel tube touched the high-tension wire; as a result, you and the laborer were instantly struck down to the steel formworks. I was terribly frightened, and didn’t recover myself until I saw you were about to fall. I hurriedly caught hold of your coat tightly. Luckily at the same time the steel tube was moved away and the electric circuit was broken. You’re very lucky to be alive after being shocked by the high-tension wire. But the laborer seems not to be so lucky as you.” His words made me further confirm that when my life was at stake, it was God who protected me through His might and authority. I especially thanked God in my heart. Just then the ambulance arrived. So the labor contractor carried the laborer on his back and sent him in the ambulance. I stood up slowly and took several steps. There wasn’t any unusual feeling. I was extremely excited: Unexpectedly I’m fine! I’m so fortunate! Thank God! It was totally God’s care and protection!
After I went downstairs, all the people in the courtyard felt it was incredible and said, “Are you really fine after being shocked by the high voltage electricity? It’s really a miracle!” “You’re still alive after getting a shock from the high-tension wire. It’s Heaven that protected you!”
Coming to My Senses and Feeling Regretful
They all left and I alone calmed down to recall the villagers’ words. Seeing myself safe and sound, I was full of gratitude for God. I knew the reason that I was able to survive was because God had heard my prayers and rescued me from the brink of death at the moment of crisis. That made me truly feel that the life and death of man is controlled by the hands of God, and that at the moment of crisis, only God is our true reliance and can rescue us from danger. Through this experience, I deeply appreciated that, in the face of disaster, man was so small and impotent and had no choice but to wait for death. I also thought of the past when I had not pursued the truth and never known what was most valuable. I viewed money as more important than life; however, at the juncture of life and death, I saw that money wasn’t able to change anything at all, that no matter how much money I had earned, I couldn’t buy life, and that only God gave me life so that I could go on living. Considering my actions and deeds of the past, I felt I was really unworthy of enjoying God’s mercy. Thinking of these, I had mixed feelings. Gratitude, guilt, and remorse all welled up in my heart. Then I prayed to God and made up my mind: I will do my best to attend meetings and read God’s words normally from now on, and won’t believe in God in this muddleheaded way any longer.
That night, the labor contractor returned from the hospital and told me excitedly, “The laborer is out of danger now. Only his little toe was charred and has been resected. The doctor said that it’s truly a miracle that you two are still alive after getting a shock from the high voltage electricity, and that you’ve been truly protected by the Heaven.” Then he said to me gratefully, “Buddy, you know, I was almost scared to death today. Thank your God for protecting us (I had spread the gospel to the laborer and him). Otherwise, the accident would have claimed three lives; in that case I couldn’t afford the compensation even if I spent my last penny.” I nodded my head and said with emotion, “It’s true! When I spread the gospel and read God’s words to you in the past, the two of you were willing to listen and believe in God, and therefore were protected by God. As God said: ‘Whoever comes to you and receives God’s good news will be blessed by God, and the countries and people who do so will be blessed and cared for by God.’ Only God loves man the most, and only God is watching over and protecting everyone. He will always care for and protect us, as long as we’re willing to hear His words and don’t oppose Him.” Hearing these words, the other foremen were surprised and said, “No wonder you’re so lucky. You believe in God, so you could escape death in the disaster. It seems that the God you believe in is true God.” Hearing these words, I was overcome with emotion, and sincerely thanked God for His compassion and salvation for us.
Later, I saw these words of God: “No one can fathom the Almighty’s whereabouts, much less can anyone sense the transcendence and greatness of the Almighty’s life force. He is transcendent in that He can perceive what humans cannot. He is great in that He is the One who is forsaken by mankind and yet saves mankind. He knows the meaning of life and death, and more than that, He knows what rules are appropriate for governing the existence of the mankind that He created. He is the foundation of human existence, and He is the Redeemer who resurrects mankind again.”
After reading God’s words, I thought of the experience that the laborer and I survived after we were shocked by high voltage electricity. I further confirmed in my heart that all matters and all things are in God’s hands and everyone’s fate is controlled by the hand of God, which is a fact nobody can change, regardless of whether we acknowledge that.
Returning to the Presence of God and Being Filled With Joy
From then on, I resumed my life of the church, attended meetings actively, read God’s word and worshiped God with my brothers and sisters. I felt at great ease and peaceful. Although I had ever been shocked by high voltage electricity, and whenever I thought of the experience I still shook with fear, I had personally experienced God’s genuineness and faithfulness, and that God is always at my side and is my very present reliance and help.
In the following year, when we were decorating the house where the accident had happened, one villager told us, “Last year, the construction workers in our village carelessly touched the lighting cable. Consequently, one of them was electrocuted on the spot; another fell from the house, survived after spending more than 200,000 yuan on treatment but became a wreck. You’re so lucky! Both of you got an electric shock, you touched the high-tension wire while they touched the lighting cable; you were fine but they either died or got hurt….” Hearing his words, I released a sigh from deep within: It is not because we’re lucky. It is God’s care and keeping for us. Just as God’s word says: “Almighty God, the practical God! You are our impregnable fortress. You are our refuge. We huddle under Your wings, and calamity cannot reach us. Such is Your divine protection and care.” This accident made me know that only when we come to God’s presence, accept His salvation, and obey His sovereignty and arrangement can we live under the care and protection of God and live in peace and happiness. I made a resolution: From now on, I am willing to read God’s word properly, experience His work, and do all I can to perform my duty and to satisfy God.
All the glory be to God!