After years of prayer, God opened the door for Ruth’s mother to receive Jesus into her life.
Recounted by: Ruth Kok
The year 2020 was a hard one. The Covid situation hit hard and my parents’ business was also affected, but the Lord graciously provided for my family and paved the way for my mum to receive Him into her life.
During the Circuit Breaker period, there were very few customers at my parent’s wanton mee stall, and on some days the number was zero. Back then, not many hawkers were able to set up digital platforms to take in delivery orders as well, so the loss was significant. Because of this, my parents would close the stall early and spend time at home instead. I helped them in the stall sometimes, and the Holy Spirit gave me an idea -- to get my parents to sell frozen items like sio bak and char siew instead. Customers could then order and reheat them at home whenever they wanted.
I reached out to my colleagues and friends, and this initiative was very well received. There were even repeat orders! The support helped us tide over the period till the pandemic measures were loosened and business could pick up. I am also thankful that the government put in measures to assist hawkers with the rental in that period, and this really helped curb losses. He truly provided for the family and we were in no lack.
She seemed more receptive when I told her about God’s love, even when she did not truly understand.
In the second half of the year, I drew closer to my mum and her heart became open towards the gospel. She seemed more receptive when I told her about God’s love, even when she did not truly understand. One day, she just came to me and asked me if she could come to my church out of the blue. I was surprised, because I was just doing my own things at home. I got really excited and began to tell my cell group about this. They were very happy and someone offered to help me connect my mum with Chinese-speaking believers. Sharing the gospel in Chinese is very tough for me, but God is so good and He knows when we need help.
We managed to connect with a Christian lady who is close to my mum’s age, and who has been ministering to others in Chinese frequently. I asked my mum whether she would be open to having dinner with this sister, and somehow God joined our hearts during the time together. After sharing testimonies with my mum and telling her about the gospel and God’s love, she asked if my mum wanted to receive Christ as her Lord and saviour. To my surprise, my mum just nodded her head and said the sinner’s prayer. I have since been bringing her for Chinese service and doing my best to guide her in her faith. It was just weeks ago that my cousin and I decided to start a family prayer altar to stand in the gap for our relatives. What a surprise that God was answering earlier than expected!
Since I accepted Christ into my life in 2002, I have been praying for my family’s salvation. It was initially hard for me to come to church and my father even wanted to disown me when I wanted to get baptised.
My mum’s salvation was really an answer to years of prayer. Since I accepted Christ into my life in 2002, I have been praying for my family’s salvation. It was initially hard for me to come to church and my father even wanted to disown me when I wanted to get baptised. There were times when their hearts were so hard like a wall and it was discouraging. But I have seen the faithfulness of God, and their hearts have softened over the years. In fact, my family has been attending the Chinese New Year Dinner held by the Chinese Ministry in recent years (before Covid 19).
Over time, My mum has also seen my life change since I started walking with the Lord, and witnessed the good things He has done for me. Before I became a Christian, the one thing that I wanted to do was to leave the house when I was grown up and could earn money. Circumstances were not good then, and I did not want to stay. Of course, God changed my life and gave me a new heart. He revealed to me how important family is, and led me to mend the broken bridges. The fact that I am still here for her truly touches her heart, even as she has witnessed how God has provided for me in difficult seasons of my life. One such occasion was when my dad refused to speak to me or feed me when I got baptised as a teenager. When I was weak in my studies, God also guided me and opened doors for me to be where I am today.
God changed my life and gave me a new heart. He revealed to me how important family is, and led me to mend the broken bridges.
God just surprised me with my mum’s salvation, and I pray that the rest of my household will be saved. I am praying now that my mum will experience the love of God for herself, not just through my sharing, but a personal encounter that will allow her to truly understand it. That is what changes a person. If you are praying for your family, I encourage you to continue to press on and don’t give up – for in due time you will reap a harvest!