This is a story of faith, community, and divine grace in the midst of a painful season for Cindy, whose daughter was suffering from eczema.
By Cindy Tan
The Daily Affliction
It was 2:00 AM in the dead of the night. As the world slept on, the half-asleep me reluctantly crawled from my bed and reached for the tube of topical steroid cream. Hoping not to wake my five-year-old daughter, I shone a torchlight in the dark and carefully applied a thin layer of the cream on the parts of her body afflicted by eczema.
When I realized that my fingers had started to sting from the contact with tropical steroids, having applied it consecutively for a few days on my child, I broke down and cried. A sense of guilt and desperation overwhelmed me as I recalled the warnings of topical steroid withdrawal on the internet. I questioned myself on the long-term effects of steroids on my child if I was still unable to find a permanent solution to her condition soon.
A sense of hope arose and comforted me that I should not give up.
The doctor’s words, “Eczema is a chronic condition that has no cure”, kept ringing in my head. For the umpteenth time, I cried out to the Lord like the psalmist, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1)
As I choked on these words, I recalled that members of a connect group from Trinity Christian Centre would be visiting me that evening. A sense of hope arose and comforted me that I should not give up.
Encouragement from the Body of Christ
I had confided in Christina, a member of Trinity Christian Centre, about my ordeal. She had discussed with her connect group Leader, Darren to visit my family. That evening, they came, taking turns to share, minister and pray for me and my daughter in my living room.
I was very much comforted by the efforts and encouragement of other Trinitarians.
Christina also helped to submit prayer requests through the Trinity App and requested Trinitarians to pray for my daughter. She even took a picture of the prayer request that was flashed on the screen before the church service and sent it to me!
I was very much comforted by the efforts and encouragement of other Trinitarians. Over the next few months, Christina and Darren would pray for my daughter whenever they felt prompted.
God's word refreshed us and gave us hope for her health and future.
Our family also attended the healing services organised by Trinity which Christina graciously kept us informed of. While my daughter did not receive instant healing at the services, God’s word refreshed us and gave us hope for her health and future.
We would bring our daughter to DiscoveryLand for the children's services when we were able to. I remember fondly that Pastor Ee Lin would speak to her and pray over her condition. I was also grateful that the servers were welcoming and understood our daughter’s skin condition.
Healed by the Lord
During the four years, between three and six years old, my daughter was not able to express her feelings and thoughts about her condition except to tell me that her “body is painful/itchy”. There were times my daughter got worse with incessant scratching; she was just crying and fussing almost every day over the intense itch/pain.
I felt like giving up when nothing seemed to work. But God sent practitioners and mothers ... to help me.
While she was agreeable/cooperative to all the approaches we tried on her including people who prayed for her, to lessen the itch/pain, she could not shower for about 2 years... We could only wipe and wash certain parts of her body using a pail because of the pain from the impact of the shower. As a caregiver, I felt like giving up when nothing seemed to work. But God sent practitioners and mothers, who had been on the same path, to help me.
After much trial and error on various approaches, with prayers from many fellow Christians, the turning point finally came. True to God’s word in Psalm 107:20 “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions”, my daughter started to recover, slowly but surely through adjustments to her diet and care at home.
Today at almost eight years old, she is finally delivered from the endless scratching and pain.
Today at almost eight years old, she is finally delivered from the endless scratching and pain of eczema that plagued her physically and emotionally for four years. She was irritable and withdrawn most of the time but now she is cheerful and active!
The enemy stole part of her childhood with the illness but God restored the years that the locust has eaten with good things (Joel 2:25-27). As she recovers, she has been blessed to indulge in her favourite foods like ice cream and cakes, participate in overseas trips and take part in activities such as swimming and playing outdoors.
Previously, she was not able to sleep, eat, shower and play like a normal child, due to the damage to her skin barrier. Through her illness, we also discovered her talent in art, as we sent her for art lessons as a form of distraction and relief from her constant scratching.
We have shed plenty of tears during this period, but the Lord is faithful in taking account of every moment of our distress and truly cares about our suffering. “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8)
I have also grown in resilience and learnt to be thankful for the little things in life.
As I look back on the four years of affliction on the family due to my daughter’s chronic eczema, I am grateful for the support and prayers of Trinitarians. After the ordeal, I realized that I have also grown in resilience and learnt to be thankful for the little things in life that I often took for granted in the past.
May this be an encouragement to those who are afflicted in health and the caregivers who are giving their time and love to the sick:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
Reflect & Respond
Is there a healing for yourself or a loved one that you are believing God for? Rally your Connect Group or friends to pray alongside you!
If you have experienced God's miraculous healing, share your testimony with us at testimonies@trinity.sg
About the Author
Cindy Tan, a mother of two lovely children, enjoys learning about health and nutrition. Her discerning palate and unwavering commitment to her family's health lead her to meticulously examine every food label, ensuring only the most nutritious options make it to the dining table.
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