Celebrating a journey

Today, I reflected upon my journey with God since I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior close to 10 years ago. 3 months more - and I will celebrate the conclusion of the first decade of my life on earth as a Christian.

Has it been only 10 years?

Strangely, bad memories (the losses, pains, trials, agony) have become sweetened, having been seasoned by God's grace which I was only aware of much later. I honestly don't know how made it through those days if it weren't for a supernatural strength that was not my own. For example - my long battle with eating disorders. I recall bitter tears and much self-condemnation. How on earth could those chains have been broken? How did I come this far - that I can walk freely today? Broken relationships, rocky relationships, hurts, etc. Nothing was too difficult for God.

Choices. I've made bad ones. Really bad ones with bad consequences on my soul, as well as on those around me. But I have also tasted God's forgiveness that jolted me out of self-pity - and made me bold to pay for a fresh, new start... no matter how humbling. No, not just one fresh, new start. Many fresh, new starts.

My faith has gone through its ups and downs - and yet, God did send me the best friends I've ever had, who encouraged me in season and out of season. The most intimate brothers who were not ashamed to be a source of my deepest joys of being a beautiful and loved sister - affirmed to serve, give and lay down my life for them. The most devoted mentors who laid strong foundations and discipled me to be a grounded Christian. There were times when I back-slided (not totally - just that I became very complacent and loose) - but because of those foundations they had laid, I never wanted to run too far and was always compelled to run back to God somehow. I have also been privileged and blessed to have gone on a few mission trips that have stretched my faith greatly while I witnessed God's hand working among His people in a foreign land. Finally of course, my timid but determined veering off from the path of clinical medicine into the "furnace" of MCS turned out to be an amazing step of faith - praise God for giving me the courage, provisions and strength to complete this lap of my "race" to my finishing line. 

I have been listening to "God of my forever" by City Harvest Church Singapore for 2 days in a row... and I can't seem to grow tired of it somehow. I never fail to cry when I sing it - partially because I used to sing it when I was back at my home church (City Harvest KL) and it reminds me of how God has been amazing to me during that particular trying time of my life - and partially because the song is a song I can truly relate to. (You can listen to it by clicking on this link.) I hope the song causes you to celebrate your own journey with God - wherever you are with Him today. Lotsa love.