Queen of the Dark Chamber
Another autobiography added to the list of autobiographies read this year. This one was a lil different because the story is based in China. If you sit down with it, you should be able to finish reading it over a weekend (that of course assumes you are still not married ;))
The memoir is penned down as told to Ellen L Drummond, recommended by Billy Graham and opens up with a short poetry written by Oswald J Smith, the Canadian pastor, author, and missions advocate. OJS lived during the same time as Christiana.
It is with that poetry that I begin this short synopsis
I want you to Know
I want you to know you are never forgotten,
The Saviour is with you, He see all your grief;
Remember, He cares, He will never forsake you,
As soon He is coming to bring you relief.
I think of you daily and pray for you always,
How often I see you in darkness and pain;
But tho' you must suffer, His grace is sufficient,
And some day with Jesus forever you'll reign.
The Lord will be with you, dear Queen of the darkness,
And all of earth's shadows will soon pass away;
For you have been faithful and many in Heaven
Will praise you for turning their darkness to day.
Your book has brought blessing, it makes me unworthy,
For you have accomplished so much by His grace;
Some day you will step from your chamber of darkness,
For Jesus remembers; you will see His dear face.
With Christian affection, my sister from China,
I send you this message - your pray'rs He will hear;
I want you to know that God's mercy is o'er you, -
Forgotten? no, never! your Saviour is near.
And then this…
To Christiana Tsai,
Queen of the Dark Chamber.
I have seen the vision
And for self I cannot live;
Life is less than worthless
Till my all I give.
- O.J.S
Cai Sujuan, known in the West as Christiana Tsai, was born in Nanjing in the year 1890, the 18th of 24 children of the vice-governor of Jiangsu Province. Despite her luxurious surroundings, Sujuan was a sad, serious girl, and she considered becoming a Buddhist nun. Instead, her fascination with the English language led her to two missionary schools, the first in Nanjing, where Mary Leaman was the principal, and the second in Suzhou. Sujuan entered these schools determined to shut her ears to all discussion of the Gospel, but when a visiting American pastor preached at the Suzhou school, Sujuan attended to listen to his English. His message, Christ, the Light of the World, struck her to the heart, and she believed. (From Pray for China)
Her infuriated family forbade her to return to school, and mocked her mercilessly to pressure her into changing her mind. Enjoying inner peace for the first time in her life, Sujuan read the Bible and prayed with one mind, and was filled with peace and joy. Finally, her mother allowed her to return to school just to get her out of the house. Sujuan grew in love and faith, and after graduation she turned down job offers to return home and bring her family to Christ. God rewarded her faithfulness, as 55 members of her family eventually followed the Lord. Sujuans mother came to Christ when He healed her from opium addiction, and for several years Sujuan, her mother, and Mary Leaman had a fruitful ministry in the Nanjing area, especially among women.
With these blessings came trials. When Sujuans fiance, whom she had met at church, turned away from Christ, Sujuan broke their engagement. In 1930, Sujuan contracted a devastating case of malaria. She was left bedridden, and was so sensitive to light and noise that she was obliged to remain continually in a darkened room. Sujuan thought her painful confinement would bring an end to effective ministry, but her loving Savior was refining her like gold. From her bedside, Sujuan was able to comfort lost and broken souls more effectively than she had from her pinnacle of wealth and accomplishment. Her physical circumstances deteriorated further when Mary was imprisoned with other missionaries in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. Sujuan was left alone during the day, surviving on bread and salt vegetables and crawling about on the floor to take care of her needs. Even in this, she saw the hand of her Savior, as several of their friends were converted by the peace and strength with which Mary and Sujuan faced their trials.
Later on in life she would say 'I have found peace out of pain, joy in suffering, light in darkness; after over 20 years in bed, I can say it is worth while to pass through the valley of the shadow of death for the joy of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.
After the war, Mary’s poor health forced her to return to the United States, and she took Sujuan to live in the Leaman family home in Paradise, Pennsylvania. Sujuan continued to minister to those who visited her there. Her autobiography, Queen of the Dark Chamber, was translated into 30 languages.
She concludes the autobiography by quoting from a poem, that sums up her past, present and future and best expresses her own thankfulness and trust.
O fathomless mercy! O infinite grace!
With humble thanksgiving the road I retrace.
Thou never hast failed me, my Strength and my Stay!
To whom should I turn for the rest of the way?
Through dangers, through darkness, by day and by night,
Thou ever hast guided and guided aright:
In thee have I trusted and peacefully lay
My hand in Thy hand for the rest of the way
Thy cross all my refuge, Thy blood all my plea,
None other I need blessed Jesus but Thee!
I fear not the shadows at close of life's day,
For thou wilt go with me the rest of the way.
God’s offer of salvation is for everyone, Indian, American, Chinese, Spanish; Sri Lankan… for the Bible says that each one of us is in rebellion with the God who created this world. Our sins have kept us from having a relationship with God. It is we who have sinned and yet the solution comes from God himself. He sends his own son, Jesus Christ to die for us on the Cross. By the death of Jesus Christ, reconciliation is brought about. ‘Who do you say that I am? Jesus would ask his disciples. Your answer would determine where you would spend eternity.
Sujuan was ready to give up all, in this life for the importance she gave to the life that was beyond this life.
Sujuan entered the presence of her Lord on August 25, 1984.
Sujuan was from China.
Where ever you are today, it does not matter. God is the same everywhere; his love for you is a love that is same where ever you are. Will you consider where your life is going today; will you consider Him who gave you that life?
Another autobiography added to the list of autobiographies read this year. This one was a lil different because the story is based in China. If you sit down with it, you should be able to finish reading it over a weekend (that of course assumes you are still not married ;))
The memoir is penned down as told to Ellen L Drummond, recommended by Billy Graham and opens up with a short poetry written by Oswald J Smith, the Canadian pastor, author, and missions advocate. OJS lived during the same time as Christiana.
It is with that poetry that I begin this short synopsis
I want you to Know
I want you to know you are never forgotten,
The Saviour is with you, He see all your grief;
Remember, He cares, He will never forsake you,
As soon He is coming to bring you relief.
I think of you daily and pray for you always,
How often I see you in darkness and pain;
But tho' you must suffer, His grace is sufficient,
And some day with Jesus forever you'll reign.
The Lord will be with you, dear Queen of the darkness,
And all of earth's shadows will soon pass away;
For you have been faithful and many in Heaven
Will praise you for turning their darkness to day.
Your book has brought blessing, it makes me unworthy,
For you have accomplished so much by His grace;
Some day you will step from your chamber of darkness,
For Jesus remembers; you will see His dear face.
With Christian affection, my sister from China,
I send you this message - your pray'rs He will hear;
I want you to know that God's mercy is o'er you, -
Forgotten? no, never! your Saviour is near.
And then this…
To Christiana Tsai,
Queen of the Dark Chamber.
I have seen the vision
And for self I cannot live;
Life is less than worthless
Till my all I give.
- O.J.S
Cai Sujuan, known in the West as Christiana Tsai, was born in Nanjing in the year 1890, the 18th of 24 children of the vice-governor of Jiangsu Province. Despite her luxurious surroundings, Sujuan was a sad, serious girl, and she considered becoming a Buddhist nun. Instead, her fascination with the English language led her to two missionary schools, the first in Nanjing, where Mary Leaman was the principal, and the second in Suzhou. Sujuan entered these schools determined to shut her ears to all discussion of the Gospel, but when a visiting American pastor preached at the Suzhou school, Sujuan attended to listen to his English. His message, Christ, the Light of the World, struck her to the heart, and she believed. (From Pray for China)
Her infuriated family forbade her to return to school, and mocked her mercilessly to pressure her into changing her mind. Enjoying inner peace for the first time in her life, Sujuan read the Bible and prayed with one mind, and was filled with peace and joy. Finally, her mother allowed her to return to school just to get her out of the house. Sujuan grew in love and faith, and after graduation she turned down job offers to return home and bring her family to Christ. God rewarded her faithfulness, as 55 members of her family eventually followed the Lord. Sujuans mother came to Christ when He healed her from opium addiction, and for several years Sujuan, her mother, and Mary Leaman had a fruitful ministry in the Nanjing area, especially among women.
With these blessings came trials. When Sujuans fiance, whom she had met at church, turned away from Christ, Sujuan broke their engagement. In 1930, Sujuan contracted a devastating case of malaria. She was left bedridden, and was so sensitive to light and noise that she was obliged to remain continually in a darkened room. Sujuan thought her painful confinement would bring an end to effective ministry, but her loving Savior was refining her like gold. From her bedside, Sujuan was able to comfort lost and broken souls more effectively than she had from her pinnacle of wealth and accomplishment. Her physical circumstances deteriorated further when Mary was imprisoned with other missionaries in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. Sujuan was left alone during the day, surviving on bread and salt vegetables and crawling about on the floor to take care of her needs. Even in this, she saw the hand of her Savior, as several of their friends were converted by the peace and strength with which Mary and Sujuan faced their trials.
Later on in life she would say 'I have found peace out of pain, joy in suffering, light in darkness; after over 20 years in bed, I can say it is worth while to pass through the valley of the shadow of death for the joy of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.
After the war, Mary’s poor health forced her to return to the United States, and she took Sujuan to live in the Leaman family home in Paradise, Pennsylvania. Sujuan continued to minister to those who visited her there. Her autobiography, Queen of the Dark Chamber, was translated into 30 languages.
She concludes the autobiography by quoting from a poem, that sums up her past, present and future and best expresses her own thankfulness and trust.
O fathomless mercy! O infinite grace!
With humble thanksgiving the road I retrace.
Thou never hast failed me, my Strength and my Stay!
To whom should I turn for the rest of the way?
Through dangers, through darkness, by day and by night,
Thou ever hast guided and guided aright:
In thee have I trusted and peacefully lay
My hand in Thy hand for the rest of the way
Thy cross all my refuge, Thy blood all my plea,
None other I need blessed Jesus but Thee!
I fear not the shadows at close of life's day,
For thou wilt go with me the rest of the way.
God’s offer of salvation is for everyone, Indian, American, Chinese, Spanish; Sri Lankan… for the Bible says that each one of us is in rebellion with the God who created this world. Our sins have kept us from having a relationship with God. It is we who have sinned and yet the solution comes from God himself. He sends his own son, Jesus Christ to die for us on the Cross. By the death of Jesus Christ, reconciliation is brought about. ‘Who do you say that I am? Jesus would ask his disciples. Your answer would determine where you would spend eternity.
Sujuan was ready to give up all, in this life for the importance she gave to the life that was beyond this life.
Sujuan entered the presence of her Lord on August 25, 1984.
Sujuan was from China.
Where ever you are today, it does not matter. God is the same everywhere; his love for you is a love that is same where ever you are. Will you consider where your life is going today; will you consider Him who gave you that life?
No comments:
Post a Comment