June 21st, 2008
grandma and my cousin
The night when my grandma passed away, my mom, my brother, sister and I rushed down to her house to gather with the rest of the family.
Along the way, I could hear my mom sniffing at the back of the cab.
When we reached the house, the atmosphere was solemn, and everyone looked sad. As we approached the bedroom, fear gripped my heart. You know, its the kind of feeling when you approach a lifeless body, no matter how close you were with the person.
There on the bed, was my grandma, motionless, but looking as if she passed away peacefully. Soon word reached us that she passed away while being fed, because her heart failed her.
Hours passed, and as my relatives started making the necessary arrangements, my cousin, who brought me to Christ, called her pastor to come to the house.
When her pastor arrived, my cousin gathered the christians in the family first and then all my relatives, big, small, young, old in my grandma's bedroom.
I knew what she was going to do. She was about to give a testimony of how my grandma actually received Christ into her life months before she passed away.
And as she went on about how grandma would pray with her, and how she received Christ, and confessed Jesus, and how she herself told my grandma about the Book of Life, I was really encouraged.
I was encouraged by her courage. I was encouraged by her faith, and I admired her love for my grandma and for Jesus our Lord. As she spoke, our relatives who are strong Taoist uncles and aunties, devoted Buddhist cousins and aunties stood there in the room and listened to her intently.
I knew at that point of time, that strongholds were being broken, that light was shed in darkness, and that the seed of the gospel was planted. What was amazing was that, she went on to share about how Jesus died on the cross for all of us, and how if we believed in Jesus, that we would see grandma in heaven again.
Such valour, such faith. To stand in front of a group of christians to preach is already challenging, much more a group of taoist and buddhist relatives. After she shared the testimony, her pastor led all, ALL of our relatives in prayer.
Though we tried to ask for a christian funeral because of my grandma's confession but was rejected, we (the christians in the family), know that grandma is already in heaven. We also know, that God will be the One who will save our family.
He saved my grandma, He will save the rest of my relatives too.
As for my cousin, I really thank God for her.