In early September 2023, during a sharing session after a Sunday service, I spoke about the story of a Christian woman, Z (pseudonym), in her seventies, who had been healed from diverse chronic illnesses, including cancer and mild depression.
I accompanied her for about three months, taking her to traditional Chinese medicine treatments while sharing the gospel and Christian perspectives on the concepts of life and death. I concluded that depression could be alleviated and gradually cured as long as four aspects were addressed: adjusting mindset through the Christian faith, medication support, nutrition and exercise, and the company of family and friends.
As I recounted the events around me, a sister in Christ named J, also in her seventies, had a faint glimmer in her eyes. Afterward, she approached me, inquiring about which Chinese medicine hospital could treat depression. She had been experiencing severe chest pain recently and was also suffering from mild depression. Despite taking Western medicine, she couldn't sleep well, and in moments of extreme pain and despair, she even left a farewell message for her husband along with the household savings.
Familiar with her, I noticed that her face was now dark and even somewhat somber. Her eyes were filled with red blood vessels, portraying a sense of confusion and fear.
Some Christian women quietly informed me that just looking into her eyes made them feel uneasy, and we agreed to regularly show concern and accompany her.
During a deep conversation, she poured out many bitter feelings toward me. After contracting COVID-19 in early 2023, she developed symptoms such as coughing and chest pain. Every morning, she woke up with a burning sensation in her chest, which eventually led to depression. She found it difficult to fall asleep at night, waking up around 2 a.m. Despite months of medication, there was no improvement.
I encouraged her and continued sharing the testimony of Z, who had multiple chronic illnesses, including depression. Through Chinese medicine, combined with confidence in divine healing, increased physical activity, and outings, she found joy in her heart, with her illnesses being gradually cured.
Though she initially was skeptical of God, I started accompanying her to medical appointments for nearly two months. We walked in the park every week, and a few Christian ladies took turns treating her to meals.
The small group bought her a birthday cake, and the love of Christ and the concern of her fellow believers brought her to tears.
Afterward, her complexion improved, and she became increasingly joyful as she received a deeper level of God's healing.
One day, the group leader, along with a few senior Christian women, gathered with her. She shared decades of bitterness, suspecting that her husband had betrayed her in his youth. One night, when she was working late, she suspected him of having an affair, as her husband liked to go dancing. Instead of openly communicating with her husband to unlock her heart, she silently speculated and suffered. The pastor prayed for her immediate healing and told her that the chest pain was not only a late symptom of the COVID-19 infection but also a result of decades of unforgiveness and inner turmoil.
As a result, she kneeled in prayer, crying. The pastor led us in praying for her, asking God to give her the courage to seek the truth. She was encouraged to find a suitable opportunity to converse with her husband to resolve the misunderstanding.
In the following two months, she underwent Chinese medicine treatment, and I accompanied her every Thursday. Eventually, she and her husband communicated clearly, realizing it was all a misunderstanding. One rainy day, her husband even brought her an umbrella and went upstairs and downstairs to pick up medicine for her. She discovered how much he cared for her, and they reconciled as if they were a newlywed couple.
In early November, on a Thursday, I accompanied J to the traditional Chinese medicine clinic to get her medication. She happily told me the good news that the doctor said her depression, lung infection, and insomnia had all recovered, and she could stop taking medication.
Thanks to the healing power of the Savior, her chains and bonds imposed by Satan were broken and she came out from the depths of despair.
Today, when J comes to church services, she always smiles with a rosy complexion. She walks lightly, a truly joyful sight.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
