OVER THE YEARS THE LORD HAS BEEN SHOWING ME HIS FORGIVENESS AND LOVE through the Bible, Christian testimonies, and my personal experiences over the years. Between June and September of 2013, I had experienced major watershed moments in my life.

After only one beer in an after-work drinks with my coworkers, while waiting for the train at the Palo Alto CalTrain station, I passed-out without warning, fell down the stairs backwards and landed head first. I ended up spending five days in the ICU, with a cracked skull and massive bleeding inside the skull. A month after my discharge from the Stanford Hospital, in the follow-up appointment with my attending doctor—a neurological professor of Stanford’s medical school—said I looked a lot better than when I was admitted to the hospital. She did not even prescribe any medication for me. The doctor used the word “miracle” several times to describe my recovery, for patients with similar injuries either died or fall into a long coma. I believe God did not call me home then because my mission in life is not completed yet.

Due to the accident, it is confirmed I have lost my sense of smell and may not recover it. But I can still taste food, see the dish in front of me, feel the warmth of the pie with my fingers, and hear myself taking a bite of the food.

One Sunday morning I woke up in pain and felt sad, expressed to a few people that I felt terrible and told someone in passing that I am thankful to be alive but tired of living. Early that evening some police officers showed up at the house I was living in, asked me quickly if I had thought of harming myself, I answered truthfully that I had (who has not in the past?) but I won’t put that into action. Right away the officer handcuffed me and took me to the psych emergency ward at the S.F. General Hospital. Due to the rush I did not have my cellphone nor any warm clothing with me. The psych ward could have kept me under surveillance for up to 72 hours. I was kept there for 6 hours and discharged past mid-night. After almost three hours of waiting for the taxi home I finally returned close to 3:30 a.m. I found out later that a friend became concerned about me and he called the police to report that I seemed suicidal. I am thankful for having friends who do care about me, also with that experience I got to see and experience at the psych ward that there are many who are in a worse situation than I am.

Less than a month after that episode I was evicted from my previous rental with only a 10-day notice. That was during America’s Cup yacht race in San Francisco, making most of the decent and affordable hotels full. Thank God for He gives me a way to make a living, and be able to find a hotel to stay. In that period I sent out 80+ inquiries for housing units yet only receiving 15 replies from landlords to visit the available units. Seen 5 places in person but they were dismal with high rents.

Started to lose hope for finding a stable place to reside in a short time, a brother from Sunset Church’s small group—which I just joined a few months before the eviction notice—referred me to stay a few nights at a church owned property. Another brother from the same small group let me used his car for two weeks while he and his family was vacationing. A sister let me use her futon she has and delivered it to me. What’s most important is they all prayed for me and showed me their care and support when I felt alone and helpless. At that very moment in time God has arranged me to meet all these loving brothers and sisters.

I prayed that God would take me to live at a place near church. After two weeks of searching, right when my stay at the church’s property was coming to the end, God’s amazing providence is manifested again. Found an apartment beyond my imagination—close to church, private, habitable, and affordable. The landlord and I clicked nicely and I moved in three days later. First week into my stay at the new place I received three other landlords’ interest of leasing their places and placing me as their top candidates. God is in full control, He opens the best door for me.

Although situations appear adverse and are painful in the moment, I have shown by God that everything is in His amazing hands. Things happen for a good purpose, they are for my true well being, and character building.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
—Ecclesiastes 3:11