Faith Story by Dylan Pang & Irene Yong
In Oct 2020, mum-in-law contracted Covid 19. It came as a shock to the family because she hardly ever left her house. So when her test results came back positive, we were totally unprepared. We were also worried because she’s 80 years old, with high blood pressure. We weren’t sure if that would complicate matters. Deep down, we were also a little nervous waiting for our own test results, because we’re her only children in Kota Kinabalu. If our results indicated we were both positive, who would handle things for us in the two households? I think fear also kind of found its way in, because we both knew that the possibility of us being infected was high. We had not only been sending dinner to the house daily; on some days we would eat together too, or just hang out in the house….
We all know how fear works. Well, that same night, Dylan did not feel well – he felt tired, his eyes were heavy, and he had a mild sore throat! I remember standing in the kitchen alone, staring into the air aimlessly, not knowing what to think. I think my heart cried out to the Lord (“Jesus, give me strength”). I glanced over to the dining table… and …suddenly a memory flashed through my mind. Since the first lockdown in March last year, we’ve been taking Holy Communion at this dining table every single day! We were remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross, declaring that by HIS stripes we are healed; by HIS blood we are made righteous! Then a question came into my mind. “Which one do you think Is more powerful? Covid 19 OR the blood of Jesus?” Just like that, I was set free! My burden was lifted! I no longer cared about the result, because I knew we were going to get through this no matter what.
Two days later our results came back negative. Praise the Lord! Five days later, my mum-in-law called from the hospital to tell us that the doctors thought she was too well to be taking up a hospital bed. On day six, she was discharged and sent home. Praise the Lord! That day happened to be my birthday. Ten days earlier, I had written in my journal when mum-in-law was first went for the test. I asked God if I could have a birthday present; for mum-in-law’s test to be negative.
Well, we all know my mum-in-law’s test came back positive. So no, God did not give me that present I asked for. BUT only so that He could give me a bigger one; for mum-in-law to be sent home, recovered and healed from being covid 19 positive. Yes she was discharged home on my birthday!
This is another one of those journeys with God that I cannot allow myself to forget, because I know, in the future, there will be other situations where fear comes creeping in again, In such moments, we don’t always see what God wants us to see, or hear what God wants us to hear, but we can always remember His goodness and His faithfulness! He has done it before, and He will do it again.