Max’s Story

My name is Max Haifei Li. My wife and I are originally from Mainland China. I am an associate professor of Computer Science at Union University in Jackson, TN. As you can tell, I commute from Jackson, TN to Brentwood, TN. I spend my weekdays in Jackson and weekends in Brentwood. My wife works as a nurse at Vanderbilt Hospital. Her shifts are nights on weekends. That is the reason I can be a commuter.

We have two children: Joy and Benjamin. Joy is 14, and Benjamin is 8. Benjamin was diagnosed with Autism, and it brought a lot of changes to my family. Some of the changes are bad, but most of them are good. It tests my Christian faith.

In Pursuit of Life Everlasting

I became a Christian in the spring of 1999 when I was a doctoral student at the University of Florida. When I as a little boy, I thought about life and death. I realized that everyone is going to die. No exception. It made me think about eternal life. I wished I had eternal life so that I would not be afraid of death. After I became a Christian, I have internal peace in my heart because I know that death is not a punishment for believers.

With Patience and Peace

God has been teaching me to be patient, be patient, and be patient. I have a son with Autism, and that changes many things. I love him very much, but most importantly, I need to have a lot of patience when dealing with him.

John 3:16 is a verse that encourages me. The reason is that it gives me peace. When I feel discouraged, I look at the big picture and I can easily face life’s little surprises.