Hello friends! We trust you have had a wonderful start with us last week on how Joyce Ewing-Chow birthed her      book, Dancing Through the Seasons. In it, Joyce shares her story as well as stories of other women who walked through difficult times, with Jesus leading step and step.

Today, in the first portion, we will listen to Joyce’s story about Gloryanna. In the second part, we will hear about Cheow Lan and her triumphant experience of having three children after she had lost Rebecca.

Let us begin with a lifeline to healing found in Philippians 3: 20 & 21, “But our citizenship is in heaven, And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body”.

Joyce made a wrong turn early in her life which left a deep wound in her heart for a very long time. In the first year of marriage, she became pregnant. But Joyce and her husband decided to abort the baby because they were pursuing their careers. They wanted to be DINKS (dual income, no kids) for a while longer. But she regretted that selfish decision.

God had blessed them with a child and yet they aborted the baby just to stay carefree. Joyce began to blame her husband for allowing her to make such a decision. Her resentment grew and that was the source of their frequent fights. After a particularly bitter fight, with the hurling of all sorts of wounding words, both crumbled in exhaustion and clung to each other in loud sobs. God showed up in their state of despair and in a moment of underserved grace, they confessed to God their sin of carelessly exterminating a human life. In His mercy, God forgave them and graciously reconciled them to Himself. They were grateful to God for His total forgiveness.

The following year, God in His mercy, helped Joyce and her husband conceive another baby. They both prayed lovingly over the baby that God would protect the precious gift and bring it to full term. Their son, whom they named Paul, was born on 6 May 1980. Eighteen months later, Joyce gave birth to Emily. When God forgave, He also restored. Then they heeded the call of God to be full-time missionaries in Kuching, a small town in Sarawak, East Malaysia with their two young children.

During some lonely nights in the mission field, Joyce thought of her aborted child and grieved the loss. Then one night, in a vivid dream, God invited her to a dance of healing. God showed Joyce that her baby was a beautiful girl with soft curly hair. He also assured Joyce that she was with Him in heaven. In her dream, the baby was actually dancing with Jesus. Joyce awoke with great joy and gratitude. That was closure for Joyce. Together with God, the couple named the baby girl, Gloryanna.

Perhaps due to her own pain, Joyce could sense the pains of the women in Kuching. Shortly after they started their church there, Joyce pioneered an outreach programme called ‘Women’s Joy Fellowship’ to reach out to pre-believers in Kuching. God blessed the work and many women, including the rich and famous, were saved during their Women’s Monthly Tea Talk. Those who came to faith went to their church and were discipled. As these women grew in their faith, they brought their children and husbands to church. Hence, their church grew.

In Kuching, Joyce had the privilege of meeting Joan whose husband’s infidelity led her to have had multiple abortions. As she ministered God’s forgiving grace to Joan, Joyce was certain that God had used her own pain to usher this wounded woman into His healing arms. Eventually in 1986, Joan received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. Over the years, the Lord blessed Joan with many spiritual children as she, in turn, ministered God’s gracious love to all God sends into her life.

Joyce had learnt the first dance step – to know she has been forgiven, to forgive others and to be His channel of healing.

Dear Lord Jesus, we ask that you grant us this grace and happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record. (Psalm 32: 1-2 TLB)

Cheow Lan’s Dance

Cheow Lan’s first pregnancy was uneventful until she was into her seventh month when she started bleeding. On her doctor’s advice, she rested at home. But five days later, the discharge increased, and she was placed in a ward under strict instructions not to leave the bed. That was very challenging for an active person like Cheow Lan to be confined to bed and on drip. In addition, blood tests and injections were administered daily. After three weeks of enforced rest, the baby was in distress and had to be delivered by caesarean section.

The baby was immediately rushed via ambulance to the hospital which had the country’s best neonatal unit then. But baby Rebecca, grew weaker. She was baptised before she went home to the Lord two days after her birth.

After the caesarean, Cheow Lan was confined to bed for three weeks. She had planned to attend little Rebecca’s funeral in a wheelchair. However, she was advised not to do so. The journey by car would be too painful as her wound was still fresh, especially when the car hit bumps on the road. The wound would also hurt if she cried at the funeral. While her family and friends were busy at the funeral, a kind staff nurse sat with her. Her quiet presence was god-sent. Her husband Ben, shuttling between the two hospitals, brought her photos of Rebecca and the funeral.

Cheow Lan recalled that during that first pregnancy, she was touched by the following verses in the hymn, ‘Because He Lives’:

How sweet to hold a new born baby

And feel the pride and joy he gives

But greater still the calm assurance

This child can face uncertain days because He lives

And she wrote these verses in her journal, including the chorus:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know, I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

Indeed the chorus of this hymn ministered to Cheow Lan after the event. While she was recovering at home, she was surrounded by her loving husband, family, friends and colleagues. She felt God lifting her spirit way above the grief and sorrow. She was not angry with God, neither did she question Him.

After the initial grieving, God impressed upon Cheow Lan that they should rejoice at Rebecca’s birth. All children are a gift from God for a time. Instead of having her for the rest of their lives, God deemed it fit that she returned to Him after two days. Job 1: 21 says, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised”. The baby’s life was not in vain as they learnt valuable lessons concerning life and death. Cheow Lan was assured that the Lord was sovereign in the situation. She was spiritually rested.

Perhaps stressed by the event, Cheow Lan’s mother suffered a major stroke. When Cheow Lan saw her in a semi-conscious state in the intensive care unit, her emotions took a 360-degree turn. She became very angry with God. ″How could You do this to me, Lord?″ In her anguish, Cheow Lan was about to give up on Him. But one of her five brothers with whom she had shared the Gospel before, was moved to turning over a new leaf when he saw their mother. He shared with her how he kept weeping when he read the Bible, ″It was talking about me, a sinner.″ His conversion and the reality of God in his life was the silver lining in the clouds during that stormy period of Cheow Lan’s life. She repented of her resentment towards God and made peace with Him. Her mother made good progress and regained most of her motor functions eventually.

Cheow Lan became pregnant two years after Rebecca’s demise and felt rather fearful. The Lord impressed upon her that although her faith was little, it was placed in a great God whose faithfulness was constant and perfect. The hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ became her theme song during her second pregnancy. By God’s grace, she delivered Jonathan in 1986, Jeanne in 1988 and Judith in 1990.

In October 2005, Cheow Lan attended ‘Healing the Inmost Spirit’ - a programme that facilitated a time of guided inner healing coupled with teaching sessions. During the last session, counsellors who didn’t know Cheow Lan’s past, told her that they had a vision of ‘a baby’s dummy’ and asked her if the picture made sense to her. It didn’t at first. Then Cheow Lan recalled her deep sadness whenever she thought of Baby Rebecca who never felt her mother’s touch. Cheow Lan revealed that to her counsellor. The counsellor prayed over Cheow Lan, journeying with her through baby Rebecca’s time in her womb to the birth, her stay in the ICU, and her return to the Lord. In that prayer, Cheow Lan saw Rebecca safe in the arms of Jesus. 21 years after her demise, Jesus assured Cheow Lan and set her free from the guilt of not being with Rebecca during her short life on earth. Praise the Lord! His healing touched Cheow Lan’s soul completely!

The healing dance with God is wonderful and amazing! You will be calmed by His tender love as you enter into the rhythms of His grace. You will learn the songs He is singing over your life which refreshes both your soul and spirit.

These women’s sharing may be simple, yet their stories inspire us. If not for the Lord, how to live life again? How to live life victoriously? There are more great testimonies to come. Be ready to waltz with us next Thursday! Stay tuned and God