When I was told to give a testimony to the whole church, I was scared. However, Mom and Uncle Eddy told me that this wasn’t something to feel embarrassed about; if anything, it was about pleasing God. Nonetheless, it took a few attempts for me to become excited over it. But, God seemed to be urging me on, cheering me on, and telling me to tell others more about our encounters. I remember, when I was little, I often got in trouble. My mom often told me to obey my parents.
Then, she told me that God was real and that He was always there to help me. I obeyed, remembering that she had told me to obey her and that my mommy was usually always right. From then on, I wondered about this God and how He would help me. In my house, was we have this book called My Book of Bible Stories, which told us about the famous bible stories. There were pictures in the book as well, making the stories even more fascinating. Even though I desperately wanted to go to church and learn more about this God, I couldn’t because my dad wasn’t a Christian then. As such, he refused to let my siblings and I attend until we were 18. As time went on, my desire of wanting to learn more about God faded. I still asked God to help me when I needed help, but never felt the strong desire to know more. After years of trying to persuade my dad, he finally agreed to let my sister and I go to church (My brother was already older that than 18). Being in God’s house made me happy and peaceful. My teachers, Uncle Eddy, Auntie Justine, and Auntie Pai Lin on Sunday, and Pastor Lee on Saturday, allowed me to realize that I had strayed too far away from God. Their pictures, testimonies, and lessons taught me more about God and my relationship with God became closer. I learned how awesome the Lord was, how to get rid of doubt, and what God’s kingdom was like. When I received a bible, I started reading the book of Matthew and realized many of my mistakes. One of the things I realized was my lack of patience. At daycare, there were many second graders that were very annoying and noisy. Just a little things, like pencil tapping or where certain people were sitting, would make them start arguing. I was so annoyed that I started getting REALLY mad at them. After reading that passage, I started being friendlier to them, and they started being less afraid of me and also seemed to listen to my suggestions. Now, when my friends aren’t there, I sometimes play with them! It’s a wonder how much God’s Word can affect you. A bible verse that struck me was Matthew 10:28. It said: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. That time, I was scared about dying, or rather, someone killing me. This was the time when this random person shot many people in a college. I realized that the body dying wasn't something really scary, it was God, who can kill both soul and body that I should fear. But, God was also someone you should love, because He loved us first. In Matthew 20:34, it says: Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately, they were healed. For the previous chapters, Jesus never said no to those who needed help. Instead, He helped them, unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees who didn't really care about the people. Also, in school, I absolutely detest tests because I don’t do so well on some subjects and often get too nervous. But when I pray wholeheartedly before and during the test, I tend to do a lot better. The same thing goes for skiing: When I went on a very hard blue, one that my brother said was like a black, I fell twice, both needing someone to help me. The next time I went on it, I put my mind on Christ and didn’t fall at all! This time I went on a slightly easy black and didn’t fall at all! My sister didn’t, either. I believe that God was helping us because I was constantly asking Him for guidance and protection, and when I was done with it, I thanked Him for helping me. I am so happy that God is always there to help me, aren’t you? But sometimes, do you have this feeling about why God even bothered to create you? I often lie in bed thinking about that when I really despise myself to making a terrible decision. Whenever I ask God that, He flashes pictures of my friends and family in my mind, asking me: There, that’s your best friend. How would she feel if you weren’t there for her? What about your family? Would they laugh as often at the dining table? What about your older brother that was never born? He wouldn’t like it if you weren’t there. Then, He asks me: What about me, Katherine? What about me? I remember, He will use me and He loves me. God will guide me, and He is in control. I'd then ask God for his forgiveness and that He would stay with me forever, helping me choose the right choices next time. Then, I'd fall asleep when His forgiving peace came on me. God will always be there for you, and He is gentle. Don't block him out or let Him leave you, like Samson, but always listen to Him, and not the devil. Ask Him for guidance, His love, His anointing, but remember: always thank Him for all that He has given us, for that was through His love. Hopefully, He will continue to work through our lives and help us!
