Grace Awakening, Gratitude and Appreciation

Research conducted by Professor Robert Emmonds, University of California, Davis, has showed people would be happier, healthier, more able to deal with stress, more optimistic, and more willing to help others if they express appreciation at least five times per week.

The Bible says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S., I am eager to share my gratitude and appreciation to God, family and friends. As you know, my husband James and I spent a lot of time traveling to Europe, China and U.S. this year. The following stories highlight how we have been blessed by many young Chinese people we try to help in intensive discipleship training camps. It is all by the grace of God!

In Germany, we met a young couple. The camp was opened with a revival message on “Grace Awakening.” Right afterward, we broke into small groups. As we introduced ourselves, we also asked each person to share briefly their experience of grace.

When it was her turn, a young woman hesitated and said, “I don’t feel God’s grace” ... We listened and she spilled her guts. “I didn’t want to come to this camp. A few months ago, my husband had surgery to remove brain tumors. Before then, he lost a job that was promised to him. Due to the economy downturn, that company retracted all their offers …”

We listened in silence. This young wife was obviously in distress. People did not know what to say. After some time, I offered to pray for her and asked everyone to join me. As I prayed, she was sobbing.

Afterward, she introduced me to her husband (who was in another group) in the hallway. He looked pale and very quiet. As she introduced us, I could tell she did not want me to ask him questions that might make him uncomfortable. She did not want him to know her burden.

As the camp progressed, I learned more and more from her. “We met in college 10 years ago when I was 19 and he 20. Our families always like each other and get along well. We got married and came to Germany together to attend the same graduate school. We both did well and received wonderful job offers.”

Each day, I noticed changes in her countenance. She became more and more relaxed and shared more with the group. On the last evening, she was the first one who stood up in front of the whole camp to share her testimony:

“I didn’t want to come to the camp. I always thought life was good … Since he got sick last year, our world turned upside down … I tried my best to take care of him after work. I knew he did not feel well and just tried to survive… Before his job offer was retracted, before he got sick, we had high hopes. We anticipated settling down with good income, buy our own house, have children …

On the first night of the camp, I said I didn’t feel grace at all … But when Teacher Chiang (Winnis) asked everyone to join her to pray for me, when she put her arms around me, I felt the warmth and hope. In the last few days, I realized I used to take things for granted … I could not accept one set back after another. I had resentment … Now I know God loves us and I can face tomorrow.”

When she finished, her husband stood up, “I didn’t want to come neither. Things were good. Then things had been bad … Sometimes I had headache so severe I didn’t know what to do. Most of the time, I felt weak and tired. In the last few months, my wife tried to read the Bible to me every night … I appreciated that. But I still felt very weak … I thought I would never get well. Could you believe that I did not have any headache in the last few days and I was able to attend all sessions at this camp? Now I know God loves me and my wife … She really understands me! She knows me better than my mom knows me!”

In China, a young woman sought individual time to talk with me. Her opening was, “I am an optometrist.” As it turned out, her parents both are having eye diseases. With her training, she knew the worst case and her knowledge scared her.

“My parents’ eye sight will continue to deteriorate and eventually they will not be able to see. Their life will be miserable … Yes I have older siblings, I tried to explain but they don’t understand the severity. I even asked our big boss from another city and he said the prognosis was bad for both of them … There is no hope. I feel so helpless… I don’t want to live anymore.”

What could I say? Seeing the fear in her eyes, I said, “Your anxiety and fears are normal. In fact, in 2007 I was desperate before my husband had surgery on his left eye. I was so afraid that he could not read nor drive if things went wrong, I even had panic attacks.”

She looked up, obviously relieved that she was not alone. I invited her to open the Bible and read Mark 6 and continued to tell her how the words, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” spoken by Jesus to His disciples brought me great comfort.

Back in the U.S., during a session with a client dealing with a very difficult situation, he shared, “Guess what? Yesterday I saw a mother with two kids facing great difficulty, so I l helped them out. It is strange but I felt much better afterward.

If I recount all the blessings I receive this year, this newsletter will be sent long after Thanksgiving Day. But before I end, I have to tell you about my dear friend Fanny (not her real name). She was the young mother who was unconscious in early November 2008 and I wrote about how God healed her one step at a time. It has been a miraculous process with intervention involving brain experts at the most advanced facilities.

This morning Fanny called me. She told me she passed her driving test last week so she could once again drive her son to and from his elementary school. “It has been two years and finally we are back to normal. I attend adult school to (re-)learn English Monday through Thursday. I study the Bible on Friday. I take walks in the afternoons …”

I asked, “Do you remember how God brought you home two days before Thanksgiving that year? God answered our prayers, especially your little boy’s.”

She quickly recounted, “Of course, and I had to go to the local hospital ER that night. Thank you so much for staying with our son in our home!”

“Thank God for letting our paths crossed in life!”

My heart is filled with gratitude to God, my family, friends, clients and all my readers! Would you like to share what you are grateful for?

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Winnis Chiang, MA, MFT, Founder and Director of Parenting ABC, is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, she specializes in helping couples and parents of American Born Chinese. To find out more about her programs and services, visit ParentingABC.com or call 925-806-8600.