北風南風 North Wind South Wind

今天聽了一個師母見證分享的錄音，我一邊聽一邊流淚。這位師母與我們年齡差不遠，但她自己十幾年前曾經經歷過一個大車禍，躺在病床上十八個月，身體裏面打了鋼釘才能把身體撐起來，從此以後與疼痛結下了不解之緣，現在無論走到哪兒都帶著拐杖和座墊。在五年前她又被診斷出得了乳癌，但她再次經歷神的醫治。雖然她生命中有許多的疼痛，但她知道神與她同在。她在人生的道路上遇過許多基督徒，他們對她的苦難有著不同的反應，有的躲避，有的生氣，有的為她禱告到處求醫治。然而她知道，她在神的手中，我們的神是一個醫治的神，而且她知道神要她向世人作見證。她說每個人生命中都有不同的痛，也許是婚姻、健康、孩子、工作、財務、等等，要有信心向神求，即使神不把我們的痛完全拿走，祂也一定會有話語給我們。也許我們的生命中現在是吹著和煦的南風，也可能正刮著凜冽的北風，她鼓勵我們要勇敢地面對自己的痛，倚靠神，神必帶領我們經過我們生命中的曠野，就在我們覺得沒有力量無可指望的時候，祂必定會緊緊地牽著我們。

她說舊約的雅歌書是她非常喜歡的一部書，裏面描述了一個基督徒與神關係的成長，也在過去的苦難中給她很多的安慰與提醒。透過她的見證讓我對雅歌書有了新的認識。有時候我們自己的苦難，會成爲別人的祝福，那時我們的生命就流出了基督的芳香之氣，就像這位師母一樣。神知道什麼時候給我們南風，什麼時候該刮點北風，讓我們的生命更成熟。

I listened to an audio recording of a testimony by a pastor's wife today. I was weeping as I listened. She is not much older than me but she has experienced way more than I have. She was involved in a serious car accident more than 10 years ago. She had to stay on sick bed for 18 months and she has to carry a cane and a pillow with her wherever she goes ever since. She had to receive steel implant in her body so she can stand up again, and she has the constant pain all over her body. Five years ago she was diagnosed breast cancer yet she received healing once again from our Lord. Even though she experienced many wounds and pains, but she knows God is with her. She had met many Christians in her life and they have different reactions about her current health situation, some are angry, some try to avoid her, and some keep praying for her and take her to all different healing crusades. However she knows that she is in God's hand, our God heals, and she knows she is to witness to the world. She said we all have different kind of pains in our life, whether marriage, children, work, health, or finance, but we should keep praying by faith. Even though God may not remove our pains completely, but He will give us words and comfort us. We may be in a comfortable situation and everything is going smoothly like the soothing south wind, but it can also be the bitter north wind blowing in our life right now. She encouraged us to face our pains bravely and trust in God, He will lead us through the tribulations. Even when we feel hopeless and find ourself lost strength to fight, He will hold our hands tightly and never let go of us.

Song of Songs is the book she likes the most in Bible. It describes the stages of a Christian's spiritual growth and relationship with God, and it give her great comfort and encouragement when she is in trouble. It gave me a brand new perspective of this book. Sometimes our own loss can become blessings of others, at that time others can smell the fragrance of Christ through us just like this pastor's wife. God knows when to provide us south wind and when to blow the north wind to make us stronger.