Exact Timing

By Zhang Shu-wen

Editor's note: This is a public address given by the author at the funeral ceremony for his late wife in Shanghai on August 20, 1997. Attending the ceremony were relatives, friends and colleagues and many were greatly impressed by his words.

Brothers and sisters, thank you all for coming to bid farewell to my late wife Xie Fu-gui. Our thanks to the many brothers and sisters who have helped us, cared for us and prayed for us over the past two years during Fu-gui's illness. We are comforted and encouraged by your love and hard work in the Lord. May the Lord reward you all!

Fu-gui believed in Jesus at the age of 14. Through the ensuing years we have deeply experienced the Lord we believe in as the true and living God. He has never broken His promises to us, not even once. His love is very, very real. And during her battle with cncer Fu-gui experienced a great deal of that love.

In April 1995, she discovered she had a bean-sized tumor. By May 17, the tumor had grown to half the size of an egg, and it was so painful that she could hardly bear it. She cried out to God, "Oh Lord! Save me. I can't bear this pain!" Immediately, our Heavenly Father answered her prayer. Over the next two years and three months until she returned to her heavenly home, she never felt any pain.

The final diagnosis came from Huashan Hospital - Fu-gui had bone cancer at an advanced stage, and it had spread throughout her body. The doctor told us there was no possibility of a cure, nor was there any effective medication. She was sent home to rest. The doctor knew that this kind of bone cancer could cause tremendous pain and that ordinary pain-relieving shots would not be effective. So he recommended special pain-killing shots for her which were very expensive. Each shot cost as much as $1200. So we came home and prayed to God. She never had to use these shots even once. How wonderful our Lord's love is!

On June 23, the doctor told us that Fu-gui's heart was failing and she had about a week to a month to live. I told the bad news to our two children overseas and I told Fu-gui as well. Fu-gui said: "Our life is in God's hands. When it is time for me to return to my heavenly home, I will obey. Our Father's arrangement is the best for us." She was deeply comforted that our whole family believed in the Lord and that sooner or later we would be re-united in Heaven. She was very glad to see our children who had come back to see her. She talked and smiled a lot. Sometimes, our younger child would play the piano while everyone else sang hymns, and our worldly sadness would be completely washed away by the peace and joy of Heaven. We also took many pictures. In the pictures she had never appeared so natural and so joyful. If you are free, you may come round and see those pictures.

At 4:30 in the morning on August 9 she woke up and asked me, smiling, what the time was. "4:30," I said. "No, it's not," she said, " It's 8:03." I showed her the clock, but she smiled again, "Silly you! Between 8:03 and 8:10, the Lord will take me to Heaven. Don't you understand? This is my special privilege!"

On the morning of August 16, my daughter went out to buy milk. One of the church brothers saw her and asked, "You mother said she would return to Heaven at 8:03. Did she mention any other time?" This reminded my daughter and she hurried to get home before 8:00. Then we prayed together. Fu-gui's mind was perfectly clear. After a while, I saw her looking up at the sky in a strange way. I called my daughter over. Then, slowly, she stopped breathing. We looked at the clock. It was exactly 8:03. She had shown no sign of any pain or discomfort. It was as if she had fallen asleep. And so, peacefully, she returned to her heavenly home. We sang hymns as we gently changed her - two days earlier she had asked us to get everything ready.

Fu-gui is at rest in Heaven. But she had one last wish and she would like me to pass it on to you. She wanted me to tell all her relatives and friends, all her colleagues and neighbors who are here today, that if you have not yet believed in Jesus, do so quickly because believing in Jesus is the only way to Heaven and eternity. There is no other way. She sincerely hoped that every one of you here would receive this eternal gift from Heaven like her.

Thank you!

The author was a retired art teacher.