Recently, I have been posting stories of faith from my fellow church brothers and sisters on our church’s website. This trend started with an exercise I did with the middle schoolers, where we prepared them to share their own faith stories and post them on our website. We did this exercise after studying the Red Letters Challenge, where Jesus instructed us to go and make disciples of all nations.
Despite facing setbacks, doubts, and struggles, our youth still choose to follow Jesus and bravely share their faith with others. Their courage has inspired me (and other adults) to write and share my own faith story. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us of this –
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2
I pray that my story of faith will bless and strengthen your own relationship with God and faith in Christ Jesus, as we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
Here is my personal story of faith. Don’t forget to check out the links at the end for inspiring testimonies from our youths and the rest of our church family.
Meijing’s Testimony
My name is Meijing. Growing up in China with my family, I had an easy and happy life. My parents had to work hard for a living, but they always made sure my sister and I had enough to eat and wear. My excellent grades and close friendships made life enjoyable and fulfilling.
However, as my family immigrated to America when I was 12, my life took a significant turn. Adapting to the new culture and environment and entering middle school without knowing English was incredibly challenging. I struggled to understand what was happening in class every day. I had to mature quickly with no one to turn to for help. I felt lonely and helpless and inferior and inadequate compared to others.
During my first summer in America, I went to a local church’s summer camp to learn English with my sister, where I was introduced to the teachings of Jesus. Initially, I was skeptical, thinking that only those with incurable illnesses or dire circumstances would need Jesus. However, as I faced the challenges of school and life without guidance, I found myself praying to God at night for help, even though I didn’t know who He was. I found comfort in doing that and continued praying to Him for many years.
Finally, during my college years, I felt the nudge in my heart to discover who God is. So I prayed to Him and asked Him to show me the way to Him. In the summer of 1997, a group of Christian missionaries from Hong Kong approached me and shared the good news of Jesus with me, and I decided to accept Jesus as my savior and invited Him into my life.
Knowing that God loves me helped me rebuild my confidence. However, life was not always easy, and I still faced many challenges even after believing in Jesus. One of the biggest challenges we faced was when I got laid off, and my husband’s office was shutting down while I was expecting in 2008. This situation could have burdened us greatly, but instead, we experienced great peace in our hearts. We trusted that when God closed one door, He would open another one for us, and He did! He gave me a job soon after my first trimester of pregnancy, allowing me to have three-day weekends for eleven years, enabling me to work, care for my son’s needs, and serve my church family. And in 2019, as I decided to enter full-time ministry, my husband’s office shut down again. But God is faithful and gracious. He provided another job for my husband, which is good enough to support me in my ministry.
Life is full of challenges and uncertainties, which can quickly drain us. Yet, through it all, I have experienced God’s love, providence, presence, and guiding hands. He is always with me. My life is an ordinary one, but my God is extraordinary. He is the real Joy Giver and ultimate Provider. I hope my story will inspire others to find hope and comfort in God, as I have.
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