Thoughts after Reading “Thank You for Being with Me”

Lu Sih-Sian

In the book, a person got caught in anti-nuclear campaign. Since then, he was imprisoned and never enjoyed family love.  The gospel that God loves all men moved him.  Once, he announced to quit smoking in the prison, but other criminals said to him, “Impossible!”  He drew a cross on a piece of paper and stuck it on the wall in his room.  He nailed a cigarette in the middle of the cross.  Looking at the cigarette on the cross every day reminded him that cigarette and he could not exist together.  Even it was very difficult to quit smoking, he still insisted to the end and never gave up.  When he was discharged from the prison after six or seven years, he got rid of smoking, which he started since high school.  He also quit alcohol, drugs, gambling, beetle nuts and pornography.  Finally, he became a good man. 

In the book, a man was sent to jail five or six times and stayed in jail for more than 10 years.  At his last time in jail, he applied to go to drug rehabilitation center in Tainan where he thought he could be released on parole sooner.  When he got there, the beautiful environment attracted him.  He changed and repented; he even quit his 20-year smoking habit.  Rehabilitating drugs was difficult; however, he insisted to the end and got rid of all his bad habits in the past.  Minister Huang said that if a person truly repent, he has the chance to be saved.