I want to thank my student Qiqi for sharing her story of returning home. When she came to the camp, my deepest impression of her was that she was tall and chubby, yet the self-portrait she created depicted herself as slim and slender. Below is her sharing written to me, which she has kindly allowed me to share.
**Encountering the Lord in Artistic Spiritual Retreat—Qiqi**
During the three-day, two-night artistic spiritual retreat, the various visual art creations truly provided me with a new way to face myself and God. The past and the darkness I saw were painful. However, this emotional person who often cries did not feel increasingly powerless; instead, I regained a new perspective on those things through my faith. My thinking and subconscious were completely transformed, and these changes in my mindset directly and swiftly impacted my physical health, turning around many health issues that had troubled me for a long time, and allowing me to see myself from a different angle.
I felt rapid changes in the following ways:
1. **Sleep Improvement**: I discovered that I could sleep and wake up. I had been taking sleeping pills for over five years, and I was irresponsible, often taking more medication when I couldn’t sleep. Sometimes, I would take double or triple the recommended dosage in one night just to force myself to sleep. Because of the effects of the sleeping pills, waking up was very difficult; I would sleep throughout the day, which negatively affected my nighttime sleep, creating a vicious cycle. Essentially, I couldn’t sleep without sleeping pills, and even when I wanted to quit, I found it impossible. I remember staying up several nights, unable to sleep. Later, when I switched to traditional Chinese medicine, my condition improved somewhat, but the doctor was still concerned about potential dependence or addiction due to my long-term use of various sleeping pills. However, after returning from the camp, not only was I able to fall asleep, but I also naturally woke up, usually before 8:30 AM, feeling so energized that even if I wanted to stay in bed, I couldn’t. This was something I had never experienced in years.
2. **Change in Taste**: I even sent a Line message to my sister, telling her that my life had been completely changed! One day, I ordered fried chicken, cooked instant noodles, and bought milk tea—my beloved junk food collection. However, strangely, these foods that I usually loved suddenly tasted bad. From that day on, my taste buds began to guide me towards healthier food choices. This shocked me; foods I once found delicious suddenly became unappetizing! The most astonishing part was that I used to drink carbonated water instead of plain water, and it had to be cold. I planned to continue this habit after returning home, but I found it too stimulating to drink, so I quietly started boiling water to drink. For the past few days, I’ve been drinking warm water, something I had never done before. I guess I’ve become a different person.
3. **Freedom from Food Addiction**: I no longer have an addiction to food. Now, I truly feel full and cannot eat anymore; I only feel hungry when my body needs food. I had never experienced this before. I love to eat, but I had never understood what it meant to be so full that I couldn’t eat anymore. Now, when I am full, I simply can’t eat anymore, and when I need to eat, my body tells me I’m hungry. I find this experience truly miraculous, as the changes are mostly long-standing habits. I believe it is God’s miraculous healing—not through medication or long-term therapy, but through experiencing the Lord. God’s grace has influenced my spirit, reshaping my thoughts and ultimately changing my physical state. This is a miracle; it should be called God’s grace!
I thank God for allowing me to experience such changes after participating in the artistic spiritual retreat. Of course, it’s not enough to just rely on God; I still need to work hard to maintain these good habits and attitudes toward life. Health also requires discipline and management. However, because of God’s grace, I have saved a lot of time in this process. I believe that continuing to rely on God will enable the weak me to achieve twice the result with half the effort!
