6. Manna issue 66 - Children Are a Heritage from God 兒女是神的產業
Amy Ho—Edinburgh, UK 英國愛丁堡 Amy Ho
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.”
(Ps 127:3)
3兒女是耶和華所賜的產業；
所懷的胎是他所給的賞賜。
(詩 127：3)
In the name of Jesus I testify about how God granted us our very own heritage.
奉主耶穌的聖名，
我見證神如何賞賜我們自己的產業。
LONGING FOR CHILDREN 渴望生子
Ever since I was young, I have been a person who loves children.
All I ever wanted was to be a mother and housewife.
I never had any career aspirations at all.
When my two sisters were born,
I would happily sit by their crib and gaze at them, waiting for feeding time
so that I could lift them out of the crib and hand them to my mother.
從小的時候，我就是一個疼愛孩子的人。
我曾經只想做的一切，就是成為一位母親和家庭主婦。
我從來沒有任何的職業抱負。
當我的兩個妹妹出生時，
我會很高興地坐在他們的嬰兒床旁邊，凝視著他們，等待餵食時間，
這樣我就可以把他們從嬰兒床裡抱出來，遞給我媽媽。
Naturally, after marriage, my husband David and I planned to start a family quite quickly.
We naively thought that it would happen as soon as we wanted it to.
I thought to myself, if we start trying for a baby now,
in nine months’ time, we will have one.
很自然的，結婚之後，我和丈夫大衛打算很快建立一個家庭。
我們天真地認為，只要我們想要，事情就會發生。
我心想，如果我們現在開始嘗試生出一個孩子，
九個月之後，我們將擁有一個。
However, the months passed, but I did not get pregnant.
Initially, I would get upset every month that it didn’t happen,
especially as people around us seemed to get pregnant easily,
and had their babies, and some even had their second ones.
It seemed that everywhere, at work, at church, on the streets,
there were pregnant women and babies.
I had such a deep yearning inside every time I saw them.
然而，幾個月過去了，但我卻沒有懷孕。
一開始，每個月我都會因為沒有發生而感到沮喪，
尤其是我們周圍的人，似乎都很容易就懷孕了，
得到了他們的孩子，有些人甚至得到他們的第二個孩子。
這種情況似乎無處不在，在職場中，在教會，在街上，
到處都有孕婦和嬰兒。
每次看到他們，我的內心都會有一種深深的嚮往。
TURNING THE FOCUS AWAY FROM MYSELF 轉向注視自已的焦點
Gradually, we accepted our predicament and prayed for comfort from God
and for patience to wait for His timing.
We realized that life is indeed in the hands of God and not something we can control.
漸漸地，我們接受了自已的困境，並祈求神的安慰，
並且能有耐心等待祂的時機。
我們意識到，生命確實在神的手中，不是我們可以控制的。
We also heard comforting sermons that really helped us.
One was about how God’s will is higher than ours.
Another was about how God granted Hannah a child
once she started to think about what God and His people needed.
Both sermons touched me greatly.
我們還聽到了真正幫助我們，能安慰人的講道。
有一則講道，是關於神的旨意高過我們的想法。
另一則講道，是關於神如何賜給哈拿一個孩子，
因為她開始思考神和神的百姓有什麼需要。
這兩次講道都深深的感動我。
I began to try to think more about what God wanted from us.
Maybe I had been quite selfish before,
thinking that I could have a break from everything once we had a baby.
I had only moved to Edinburgh recently
—maybe God wanted me to do more first?
Ultimately, God’s time is better than our time,
even if we think we’re ready, God’s will is always the best.
I also heard about some other couples
who had to wait for years before they had children.
我開始嘗試更多思考，神想要從我們身上得到什麼。
或許我以前很自私，
想著一旦我們有了孩子，自已就可以從一切解脫出來。
最近我才搬到愛丁堡，
—也許神要我先做更多的事情？
最終，神的時機比我們的時間更好，
即使我們認為自已已經準備好了，神的旨意總是最好的。
我也聽說過其他幾對夫婦，
他們必須等待多年，才能得到孩子。
I stopped focusing so much on my desire for a baby
and concentrated on doing more for God.
I decided to use my time wisely, to do more for Him while we didn’t have a family.
God helped me to find joy in doing church work.
我不再那麼關注自已對孩子的渴望
而是專注於為神做更多的事情。
我決定好好的利用自已的時間，在我們還沒有家庭的情況下，為祂做更多的事情。
神幫助我在做教會的聖工中找到喜樂。
Besides, my husband and I did more things as a couple,
went to places we wanted to, bought things we wanted to,
thought about our careers, etc.
But deep down, I always had a sorrow in my heart
that something was missing from our lives.
此外，我丈夫和我可以作為一對夫婦，去做了更多的事情，
去我們想去的地方，買我們想買的東西，
思考我們的職業等等。
但在內心深處，我心裡一直有一種悲傷，
我們的生活缺少了一些東西。
HOPE IN WAITING—REMEMBERING GOD’S GRACE 盼望等候 - 記住神的恩典
I wondered if it was God’s will that we didn’t have children.
We both agreed that we wouldn’t go for fertility treatment.
I was willing to explore the option of adoption
because I loved children so much.
I felt that I could take any child and love him as my own,
especially when I looked at all the children at church.
Yet we didn’t take this step because David always believed
that we would eventually have our own child,
and I thank God that he had this simple yet firm faith.
我想知道，我們沒有孩子是不是神的旨意。
我們雙方都同意，不會跑去接受生育療程。
我甚至願意研究收養孩子的選項，
因為我實在很愛小孩。
我覺得，自已可以接納任何一個小孩，像愛自己一樣的愛他，
尤其是當我看到教會裡所有孩子的時候。
然而我們並沒有邁出這一步，因為大衛一直相信，
我們最終會有自己的孩子，
我感謝神，他有這種簡單而堅定的信心。
During the few years that we waited,
I constantly thought of God’s grace to us in the past:
When I was very young, I suffered from severe nosebleeds,
losing so much blood that my mother would pray to God
that she accepted His will if He wanted to take me away.
By His mercy, these nosebleeds stopped in my teenage years
and I have enjoyed good health ever since.
I also recalled how God brought me and David together
—from complete strangers to getting married in less than two years
after being introduced through a preacher.
This helped me to remember His providence,
to seek comfort and to keep faith in Him.
在我們等待的幾年裡，
我一直想著神過去給我們的恩典：
當我很小時候，鼻血流得很厲害，
失血太多，以致於我媽媽會向神祈禱，
如果神想帶走我，她會接受祂的旨意。
靠著神的憐憫，這些流鼻血的情況，在我十幾歲的時候就停止了，
從那以後我就一直很健康。
我還記得，神如何帶著我和大衛走到一起，
—從完全的陌生人，到最後結婚，期間不到兩年，
在通過傳道介紹之後。
這幫助我記住了神的預備，
尋求安慰，並保持著對神的信心。
In addition, I found comfort from the Bible:
how Joseph endured years of tribulation,
how God led the Israelites out of Egypt,
how God granted children to Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah.
此外，我從聖經中得到了安慰：
約瑟如何忍受了多年的苦難，
神如何帶領以色列人出埃及，
神怎麼將孩子賜給利百加、拉結和哈拿。
DREAMS SHATTERED? 夢想破滅
In January 2010, we were overjoyed to learn that I was pregnant.
We had been waiting for this day for three and a half years!
However our joy was very short-lived when I miscarried at nine and a half weeks.
When it happened, we were heartbroken.
It felt like our world had been shattered.
Never did I expect this to happen after waiting for so long.
It felt that our future looked very bleak;
we had to start all over again
and who knew how long it would take to fall pregnant again?
2010 年一月，我們得知我懷孕了，而欣喜若狂。
為了這一天，我們已經等了三年半！
然而，當我在九周半的時候流產，我們的快樂就非常短暫的結束了。
事情發生的時候，我們都很傷心。
感覺就像我們的世界已經粉碎了。
在等候了這麼久之後，我重來沒想到會發生這種事。
感覺我們的未來看起來就很淒涼；
我們不得不再次重新開始，
誰會知道需要多長的時間，才能再次懷孕？
That day David and I prayed together,
asking God for comfort and for us not to murmur but to accept His will.
Amazingly, by the next morning,
God had dried our tears and we felt peace in our hearts.
Truly, this was comfort from God.
那一天大衛和我一起禱告，
求神安慰，讓我們不要埋怨，而且要接受祂的旨意。
很奇妙的是，第二天早上，
神擦乾了我們的眼淚，我們內心感到平安。
的確，這是從神而來的安慰。
GIFT OF GOD 神的恩賜
It took another year before I finally became pregnant again;
thank God, this time everything went very smoothly
and the pregnancy was very enjoyable!
又過了一年，我終於能夠再次懷孕；
感謝神，這一切都很順利，
這次懷孕令人感覺非常的愉快！
God also granted His grace to us during the birth of our baby.
After an hour or so of unsuccessful labor, the doctor examined me
and said that although the baby’s head was facing down,
delivery might be difficult as the baby was facing the front instead of the back.
They suggested I try a little longer
but then they would have to take me into theatre to try and turn the baby.
If they couldn’t do that successfully,
they would perform a caesarean section.
As soon as I heard that there was a possibility of a caesarean section,
I prayed to God in my heart,
hoping that it could be avoided as recovery would be longer and more painful.
在我們的孩子出生的時候，神也將祂的恩典賜給我們。
經過一個小時左右的分娩失敗之後，醫生給我檢查，
並且說明，雖然嬰兒的頭是朝下的，
分娩可能還是會很困難，因為嬰兒是面向前方而不是後方。
他們建議我再嘗試久一點，
但是後來他們不得不把我帶進手術室，試圖把嬰兒翻過來。
如果他們不能成功的做到這一點，
他們就會進行剖腹產。
一聽到有可能要進行剖腹產，
我在心裡向神禱告，
希望可以避免剖腹，因為恢復期會更長，更痛苦。
I tried harder but without any success and was finally taken into theatre.
It was a quite daunting experience with all the medical staff doing things around me,
and my body was anesthetized in preparation for the caesarean section.
However, on examination, they found that the baby had turned himself
and could be delivered with forceps.
I thank God that in the short journey up to the operating theatre,
the baby had turned and the surgery could be avoided!
我更加努力嘗試，但卻沒有成功，最終被送進了手術室。
在我周圍所有的醫務人員都在工作，這是一次非常可怕的經歷，
我的身體已經麻醉了，為剖腹產做好準備。
然而，檢查的時候，他們發現嬰兒已經轉過身來，
並且可以用手術的鑷子拉出來。
感謝神，在前往手術室短短路程中，
嬰兒已經完成轉身，如此就可以避免手術了！
Finally, on September 03, 2011, our son Matthias,
meaning ‘gift of God’, was born.
Our happiness was beyond anything that words could describe.
We were also overwhelmed to see how happy our family and friends were for us.
最後，在 2011 年 9 月 3 日，我們的兒子馬提亞，
意思是“神的禮物”，出生了。
我們非常的幸福，是無法用言語形容的。
看到家人和朋友，為我們感到多麼高興，我們也深受感動。
Even now, I often cannot believe that he’s here.
It is a wonderful feeling that the burden in my heart has been lifted,
and I no longer need to walk around with the sorrow that was with me for years.
Matthias is a happy and healthy baby:
indeed our most precious gift from God.
即使是現在，我也常常不敢相信，嬰兒就在這裡。
心裡卸下包袱的感覺真好，
我不再需要帶著多年來伴隨悲傷，到處行走。
馬提亞斯是一個快樂健康的寶寶：
確實是我們從神那裡得到，最珍貴的禮物。
ALL THINGS ARE IN GOD’S HAND 一切都在神的手中
I thank God that He sustained our faith throughout this period of waiting.
During that time, I truly experienced
how blessed we are to be married in the Lord,
so that we could pray together and support each other to sustain our faith.
感謝神，在這段等待期間一直支持著我們的信心。
那段時間，我真正感受到，
我們在主裡結婚，有多麼的幸福，
這樣我們可以一起禱告，並且互相扶持，以維持我們的信仰。
Indeed, God will never give us more than we can bear,
and He disciplines us or refines our faith because He loves us:
的確，神永遠不會給我們，超過自已所能承受的負荷，
祂管教我們，或精煉我們的信心，因為祂愛我們：
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful:
nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it.
(Heb 12:11)
11凡管教的事，當時不覺得快樂，反覺得愁苦；
後來卻為那經練過的人結出平安的果子，就是義。
(來 12：11)
Today I appreciate much more that everything is in the hands of God.
In this day and age when we’re so used to having everything we want at our fingertips,
it was very humbling to wait for God and His timing.
今日，我更加感激，一切的事都在神的手中。
在此年代，當我們如此習慣一切慾望都觸手可得，
等待神和祂的時機是非常謙卑的。
No matter how much we make plans for our lives,
we should remember that everything is in the hands of God.
無論我們為自己的生活做多少計劃，
都應該記住，一切都在神的手中。
Come now, you who say,
“Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
spend a year there, buy and sell, and make profit”:
whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.
(Jas 4:13–14)
13嗐！你們有話說：「今天明天我們要往某城裡去，
在那裡住一年，做買賣得利。」
14其實明天如何，你們還不知道。
(雅 4：13-14)
His will and timing may be different to ours,
but it is always the best and we need to submit to Him.
祂的旨意和時機，可能與我們想要的不同，
但它總是最好的，我們需要順服祂。
With this, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to God
and ascribe all glory unto His name.
Amen.
因此，我要衷心感謝神，
並將一切榮耀歸於祂的聖名。
阿門。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)