March 2026
Blessings in the Sufferings
Years ago, I was deeply attracted by Jesus’ love. It happened during a church outreach in a park. Jesus’ sacrificial love touched me and conquered my heart. That year, I was just a 13-year-old girl.
I grew up in a traditional Chinese family. Although my parents were not wealthy, they were loving and caring, and my siblings cherished me. As I grew older, God blessed me with a good marriage, two children, and a stable job in Hong Kong. Life felt complete, and I often thanked God for His goodness. During those years, faith and gratitude came easily.
People often say it is easy to thank God when life is smooth and joyful. But what if a major crisis comes?
In January 2015, a great challenge entered my life. One month after my son Gabriel’s fourth birthday, he suffered a mild seizure. He was rushed to the hospital. After an MRI scan, doctors told us he had paediatric brain cancer!
The tumour was discovered on a Monday, and surgery was scheduled for the coming Saturday. We were told that surgery was just the beginning! Gabriel would need radiotherapy and chemotherapy because the tumour was aggressive and had a high chance of recurrence. The entire treatment would last about 18 months.
I was completely overwhelmed. After the doctor left the room, I collapsed into tears. That night, I cried out to God, asking why this was happening and what I could do. God answered me not with an explanation but with a Bible verse:
9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
(2 Corinthians 12:9)
These words became an anchor in my darkest moment.
During the long treatment journey, my faith was shaken time after time. I was resentful, and I distanced myself from God. I searched desperately for medical information, hoping to help my son by using my own strength. Yet the more I learned, the more I realised how powerless I truly was.
One night, while Gabriel was receiving chemotherapy, there were many children in the ward undergoing treatment due to tumour recurrence. Fear filled my heart. “Will Gabriel have the same future?” I worried. That night, a mother in the same ward shared a hymn with me, “Be Still and Know That I Am God.” The lyrics reminded me that God was sovereign even in the storm. I experienced a deep peace. From then on, Gabriel and I began counting God’s blessings together every day in prayer.
Looking back, I can see many blessings hidden in the suffering.
If Gabriel’s tumour had not been discovered accidentally at an early stage, doctors might not have been able to remove it completely. When Gabriel woke up from brain surgery, he could talk and even joked with me. All nurses said it was a miracle. I also witnessed Gabriel praying to Jesus for healing when painful midnight headaches came. The simple faith in this little heart deeply moved me.
Throughout the 30 sessions of radiotherapy, God helped in many unexpected and wonderful ways. A social worker encouraged Gabriel to undergo treatment without anesthesia and supported us daily. I was allowed to tell Gabriel a story through the intercom system every day while he was alone in the radiotherapy room. God also provided accommodation near the hospital when it seemed impossible.
God also blessed us through family support. My siblings offered help to take care of my daughter, who was only seven years old when Gabriel was diagnosed. My father drove us to hospital appointments thousands of times. We were spared from financial hardship so that I could quit my job and focus fully on caring for Gabriel. Through this journey, my relationship with my traditionally reserved father was transformed. In his final days, I shared the gospel with him, told him I loved him, and embraced him. He accepted Jesus before he passed away — one of God’s most precious gifts to me.
In the years that followed, Gabriel faces many long-term side effects such as hearing loss, memory challenges, and lifelong medication. Yet he has a joyful heart and continues to enjoy life even now. This is a gift from God to him.
Over the past 11 years, I have faced many challenges and numerous moments of weakness. Yet two Bible scriptures sustain me. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).
He also promised, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
Through these years, I have learned that whether life leads me through joy or through sorrow, I will hold firmly to Jesus, for He alone is the source of true peace and love. The greatest blessing is not a life free from suffering, but the presence of Christ — faithfully walking with us, sustaining us in our weakness, and giving us a peace that the world can never take away.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
(John 14:27)