* Story and picture published with permission
At the age of 14, her sister’s ex-boyfriend, in spite, poured acid all over her face, disfiguring that cherubic, child-like face and blinding those eyes which were once so full of hope and trust in the future.
There was darkness. Tears. And more darkness.
Until one day, a ray of light in the form of an angel came to shine hope into her life. Medical missionary Dr Tan Lai Yong found Qing and decided to coordinate a series of surgeries for her to help her see again. Since then, Qing has been coming over to Singapore for numerous surgeries and follow-up appointments with various eye doctors and plastic surgeons. Because of the acid resulting in glaucoma, she lost a little of her eyesight every year.
Two years ago, I met her. That was when we first became friends. Last Thursday when I brought her out for lunch, there she was standing at the train station waiting for me, very still, not even responding to me when I drew near.
“Qing,” I said. ” I’m here. “
“Jiejie (big sister), Ni Hao (hello).”
She could no longer see. She had ‘felt’ her way to meet me at the train station near her home. As we walked to the food court, she shuffled slowly, unable to move forward unless I held her.
“Look, Qing,” I said, ” these are mooncakes, a delicacy we have for Lantern festival. You eat this too in China right? Pretty, aren’t they?”
” I can’t really see them,” she said, even though we were staring right in front of a shelf of mooncakes, separated only by a glass panel.
This time, she was really very much nearly completely blind.
“My eye surgery is next week, ” she said.
That was yesterday.
I looked at her, at the tragic keloid scars which marred her face like graffiti on a blank wall, at her right eye which was no longer existent, at her left eye which was merely a remnant of an eye globe and at those gigantic sunglasses which attempted to hide her face.
“But I’m not angry with God,” she said, ” Not anymore. You know, in the past I was. I really was. But I look at how God has blessed me and I know deep in my heart, that He really really loves me. Jiejie, if this hadn’t happened, yes maybe I’d be normal like you are. But I’d also be proud and self-absorbed. Now Ive learnt forgiveness, I’ve learnt grace, I’ve learned patience. God loves me very, very much.”
Does He not?
How else did He provide a simple village girl with a six figure sum for surgery after surgery? How else did He provide her with people here who opened their homes to house her, to take her to the hospital, to sponsor her living expenses and future education, to love and care for and support her. I learnt, that her major sponsor is the same philanthropist who sponsored my second book Rainbow, which is now being used to raise awareness of self esteem issues, depression, eating disorders and to raise funds for needy children in developing countries.
Yesterday was her transplant surgery for her eyes. This is the culmination of all the efforts poured into her life thus far. This could mean life and light and sight, or darkness forever and ever.
Nonetheless, she remains hopeful, “ To be honest, I am scared. But I told God, even if I don’t see again, things will be okay. I know, with Him, I need not worry. He has my life in His hands and He loves me so much.”
What faith.
At the hospital before sending her off for surgery yesterday, I gave her a rainbow-coloured windmill.
“This represents hope, Qing,” I said. “God has a hope and promise for you, for us.”
Please keep Qing in prayer.
And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts...
– Romans 5:5