Page 6 - Good News February 2012 paper

was conscious as Dr. Chou But nothing she said reduced my
Taohsiang operated on my eye.
II could hear the sound of the
operating instruments and Dr.
Chou speaking.
My right eye had been in a bad
condition for more than three
years. I was almost blind. About a
year later, I learned that only the
transplantation of a cornea could
get my sight back to normal.
When I told my wife she said
nothing, but showed me her supper, my mother persuaded me
savings book. She was illiterate,
but from the book I knew with
surprise that she had managed to
save about 500 Taiwan dollars
after several years of hard work.
“If this is not enough, we'll try to
get more,” she said. “You are not
like me. An illiterate person is
blind though he can see. A man
who can read needs both eyes.”
I informed Dr. Chou that I was
ready to have a corneal operation.
A month later, he phoned me and
told me that there was a man who
had just died. Before he died, the
doctor said, the man had told his
family that he would allow any
part of his body to be transplanted
to anyone who needed it.
The following day I entered the
hospital. I was extremely lucky.
People waited for years before a
cornea became available, and I
told my wife how thankful I was to
her for making the operation
possible.
After the operation, as I was
wheeled out of the operating
room, my daughter, Yung, put her
lips close to my ear and said,
“Everything went well. Mother
wanted to come, but she was
afraid.”
“Tell her not to come,” I said, “But
tell her I'm all right. She need not
worry.”
* * *
I was 19 years old when I married
by my parents' orders. In those
days it was still customary that
marriages were arranged merely
by the parents; the children had to
obey their orders absolutely. My
father and my wife's father were
close friends and had promised
that if their wives gave birth to a
boy and a girl, the children would
be married.
I had never seen the girl who was
to be my wife until the very day
she was brought to our house.
She came with her face covered
by a veil. After bowing to heaven
and earth, we were led to the
bridal bedroom. When at last I
lifted the red brocade of her bridal
veil, I received a great shock. Her
face was much uglier than I had
imagined. My dream broke to
pieces. She looked like an old
woman of 40, although she was
still 18 years of age.
I fled to my mother's room and
cried all night. My mother told me
that I must accept my fate. She
praised my new wife as a me.
kindhearted, hard-working girl.
mother,” I replied. These words I
anger and disappointment. I did would never say before.
not want to share a room with that Yung and I climbed into a taxi. She
ugly wife, and I did not speak to was strangely silent all the way
her. I stayed at school. When the home. As I walked into the house,
summer vacation came, I refused my wife was coming from the
to go home until my father sent an kitchen with a plate of food.
uncle of mine to fetch me. “You're back,” she said very
My wife was cooking supper when softly, without raising her head.
I arrived, and she raised her head “Thank you for letting me see,” I
in a smile when she saw me. I said.
walked right past her. After She walked past me and put the
food on the table, her head still
to have a talk with her privately. bent down. Standing against the
“Son, you are being cruel to her,” wall with her back towards me, “Let this same attitude and
she began. she began to weep. “It is enough purpose and [humble] mind be in
“Her face is unattractive, that's to hear you say this,” she said you which was in Christ Jesus:
true, but she does not have an between sobs. [Let Him be your example in
ugly heart.” Yung came into the room in tears. humility:] Who, although being
“No, it must be beautiful,” I said “Tell him, Mother!” she cried. “Let essentially one with God and in
angrily. “I wonder how you and Father know that you gave the the form of God [possessing the
father could have made me marry cornea for his eye!” She shook fullness of the attributes which
her.” her mother. “Tell him!” make God God], did not think this
My mother's face grew pale. “She “I only did what I should do,” my equality with God was a thing to
is an extremely good girl, under- wife remarked. be eagerly grasped or retained,
standing and patient,” she I grabbed her by the shoulders, but stripped Himself [of all privi-
continued. “She has been in this and looked closely at her face. leges and rightful dignity], so as
house more than six months now, Her left eye was covered with a to assume the guise of a servant
and she works from morning to light-brown patch! (slave), in that He became like
night in the kitchen and on the “Why… why did you do it?” I men and was born a human being.
farm. She has not said a word of cried, shaking her hard. And after He had appeared in
complaint about the way you have “Because you are my husband,” human form, He abased and
treated her. I have not seen her she answered. I held her tight. humbled Himself [still further]
shed a tear. But she has a heart. Then I got down and knelt at her and carried His obedience to the
“Do you want her to live like a feet. extreme of death, even the death
widow although she has a - Native Missionary of the cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8).
husband? Imagine what you
would feel if you were she!”
Nothing changed the way I felt.
She always kept her face down
and spoke softly. When I dis-
agreed with her, she would raise
her head to show me that she was
sorry and to try to give me a smile
of obedience; then she would hen John Wesley was six years old, his father’s house
quickly lower her head again. was burned with all its contents. All the children were
In the thirty years of marriage that Wtaken to safety, except John, and he was forgotten until
followed, I seldom smiled at my the roof was almost ready to cave in. Then he was heard crying.
wife and we never went out His father ran to the stairs, but they were so nearly consumed,
together. In fact, I sometimes they would not bear his weight. So utterly in despair, he fell on his
wished her dead. knees and asked God for help. In the meantime, little John had
Yet my wife proved to have more climbed up on a chest. The neighbours saw him. With no time to
patience and love than anyone I get a ladder, one man was hoisted on the shoulders of another,
knew. My income was hardly and he was rescued.
enough for our daily life. The baby A moment later, the roof fell in. Then the father cried out: “Come,
was often ill. When my wife was neighbours, let us kneel down, let us give thanks to God! He has
not looking after the household, given me all my eight children. Let the house go, I am rich
she worked with some rich family enough!”
or helped drag fishing nets with This incident was so indelibly impressed on John Wesley’s mind
some fishermen to earn a little
extra money. that under one of his portraits, he wrote, “Is not this a brand
* * * plucked out of the burning? God always cares for His own.”
After the operation, my daughter, - Sunday School Times
Yung, brought me a transistor
radio to occupy the long hours
my right eye. But I had plenty of Only Way Out is UpOnly Way Out is Up
while the bandage remained on
time to think, and my thoughts
kept returning to my wife. I didn't
n a grey morning during World War I, the Prime Minister of
want the people in the hospital to n a grey morning during World War I, the Prime Minister of
know that I had an ugly wife. O Brittain, David Loyd George, stood grim-visaged before the
Brittain, David Loyd George, stood grim-visaged before the
Dr. Chou removed the bandage
members of the British Cabinet. The seriousness of the situation
from my eye. I was afraid to open Omembers of the British Cabinet. The seriousness of the situation
was evident upon the faces of all. Said David Loyd George, “Gentlemen, we
it. The physician said that the was evident upon the faces of all. Said David Loyd George, “Gentlemen, we
corneal operation was a success. are fighting with our backs to the wall. The only way out is up; our only
are fighting with our backs to the wall. The only way out is up; our only
“Mother is making your favourite
hope is God. Let us pray!”
dishes to welcome you home,” hope is God. Let us pray!”
When nations thus turn to God in their trouble, deliverance is not distant.
Yung said when she came to fetch When nations thus turn to God in their trouble, deliverance is not distant.
- Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations, 1956.
- Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations, 1956.
“She is a good wife and a good