Story of a Chinese Christian who learned from adversity.
We cannot dispute God’s decisions. He alone knows who requires rougher treatment in his quarry. After Jesus’ resurrection, he told Peter that his death would involve persecution. Looking at John, Peter pouted, “Lord, what about him?” In other words, “If I have to suffer, shouldn’t he, too?” Jesus answered him bluntly: “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me” (Jn 21:22).
Harry Lee painfully re-lived that truth. Born into a well-to-do, well-educated Chinese family, Harry seemed to have a comfortable future assured. Then his father died when Harry was still a boy. As the family’s wealth evaporated, Harry, the oldest son, was left with the responsibility for his mother and siblings.
From his teenage years Harry had loved and served the Lord. He felt called to the ministry and for 12 frustrating years sought to leave China to attend seminary. His close friends got out and established themselves in free lands. The woman he wanted to marry also left China. But Harry stayed while the government brought increasing pressure to close the church he led.
Then his brother, whom he’d led to Christ, died in prison. Harry was arrested while trying to escape China and was given 11 years imprisonment on trumped-up charges. Finally on his way to seminary at the age of 56, he wondered, “Did I require chastisement? Why did I have to suffer all that?” Then, considering the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God, he concluded, “Maybe God wanted me in another school first, before seminary. Maybe because I began as such a sheltered, privileged person, he had to get me ready for something more…to teach me faith, trust, peace, unaffected by circumstances.”