Testimony — Finding God in the Unknown
For my testimony, I will be sharing about how God has been working in my life while I was away from Waterloo for a year. Although I was away from Waterloo every four months for coop terms, this ended up being the longest period that I was not present in Waterloo. Over my first 3 years in university, CCF had become like family to me. From my 1A coop until then, I started to get more involved in CCF. Through others in the fellowship, I learned more about God and the significance in my life. Through fellowship and ministries, I grew in my desire to read and study the Bible. I grew more aware about the importance of prayer in our lives as Christians, which is in response to God’s love to us.
The term before the start of my year away from Waterloo was good. I learned much through the Bible studies on Ephesians, about our joy in God and how this works in the lives of believers. I also enjoyed the closer community that spring terms offer since less people are present at CCF. One idol in my life at that time was comfort and security. I was comfortable where I was. But God would address this area of my heart in the next year. Now we enter, the next term.
In the Fall 2017 coop term, I had some lows. The issue was not with the work I did, but with the location I stayed during said term. Although it was still in the GTA, it was near the outskirts of the region and thus, I felt isolated and alone. To get anywhere, it would require me to walk far distances or take a bus ride that was either long or came infrequently. It was also not convenient to get to church on Sunday. Taking public transit meant I had to dial a taxi service, which was slow and came at inconvenient times. There were instances where I felt like I didn’t belong where I was. I was losing motivation to try to meet with others in fellowship.
However, God put it on my heart that term to not waste my time while being alone on coop. He impressed on me the importance of spending time I had with God and to depend on Him. I asked God what my true purpose was and its implication in my life. By God’s grace, I started to read the Bible more regularly. I read more Christian books in the free time that I had and stayed up at night to pray and reflect, giving thanks to God for all that He had blessed me with.
It was also during this time that I started to journal. I journalled both about what happened in my life and how I was feeling. In addition, I also journalled my prayers, which helped me to be more accountable and to see how much I needed to rely on God.
During those times, God revealed himself to me in fresh ways. It got me thinking — how much do I really love God? The Lord did not have to create us. He does not need anything for He was and is already in perfect communion with the Trinity (the Son and the Holy Spirit). However, God created us so that He could love us. The Father gave up what was most valuable to Him — his only Son, Jesus. He did this to make us His treasure by paying for our debts on the cross. If God desired me this much and wanted to make me His treasure, how could I but not make God my greatest treasure? God is the one who we were created for, and His glory is the greatest desire we could have.
Despite being in my sin and sinful nature, God did a great work in me. He used my time away from comfortable fellowship and from people I was familiar with to teach me that all I need is Jesus. I used this truth to bring me through the term. I also learned that I should not take for granted the opportunities that I do have to fellowship with others.
One thing that term that stood out to me was my commute to work. Honestly, I did not like it because I had no other choice but to walk 30 minutes each way. Not only was it a long walk, but I had to make the commute regardless of the weather conditions outside. I felt alone as the location was in a suburb near a main road, with basically only cars around and almost no other people walking at that time. I would dread this walk every time, yet through this God would use it to bring me closer to Himself.
Walking by myself gave me opportunities to pray to God and talk more freely what was on my heart. I could look at the sunrise and the fields and remember that He cares for me and that His mercies are new every morning. I would work on memorizing Bible passages and would practice reciting them each time I went on this walk. It gave me opportunities to meditate on His Word and see the richness in it as I allowed it to fill my heart and mind each day. I could sing aloud and worship and fellowship with God, from the joy that Christ had given to me. The worst part of my day ended up as a blessing to me and a time that I could refocus on God.
I started to memorize Ephesians at that time. Memorizing is not something that I’m great at and the thought of memorizing chapters did look daunting. But by God’s grace, He developed in me the habit to store up His Word in my heart. Not only is memorizing useful as timely reminders for enduring through trials and temptations, but it transforms and renews our minds so that we can see Jesus and His finished work on the cross more clearly. This led me to love God more and helped to sanctify me, which is part of the continual process of being conformed to the image of His Son. One passage that stood out to me was:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show us the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” — Ephesians 2:4–7
I find it so amazing that God is merciful and loves us so much, that in His sovereign plan He desires to save us sinners who are dead and under His just wrath. By His grace, He has given us life. Our life’s purpose is that we may learn of His immeasurable grace throughout eternity.
However, my time with God was not always that great, especially as I finished co-op and went into the winter break. Without the routine of work or school, I find it easier to fall into the reverse habit of not spending time daily in God’s Word. When I went to another country for a study term abroad, I would sometimes allow the new and exciting things around me, distract me from retreating and spending quiet time with God.
It was nearing the end of my first week on exchange; it was now finally the first day of classes. Still jetlagged and up early, I went down to the common area of the residence because the toilet was stuck in my unit. While I was sitting there, two guys approached me and started to talk with me. They asked me if I knew about Jesus. The conversation then moved to me telling them that I was a Christian and that I believed I would be with God in heaven after I die because I repented and trusted in Jesus. He asked me about my walk with God and I admitted my struggle with being in the Word regularly at that time. We then talked about Canada and exchanged contact information — then I went to my first class.
I was invited to their on-campus fellowship, which I went to the first week. In the second half of the term, I went to said fellowship more frequently. I was encouraged by what I witnessed there. The people in the fellowship cheerfully aimed to grow as disciples of Christ together, and frequently ate and studied together when they did not have class. They memorized bible verses written on cards and would regularly go for evangelism together. I felt welcomed when I would attend, and they made an effort to keep up with me and frequently asked if I would come on Fridays.
I was encouraged by the testimony of one of the guys that had originally approached me, who was in first year. He told me that every weekday, some of them from the fellowship would meet at 7:30 am to share their quiet times and pray with each other before classes started for the day. I was struck by their desire to know God, and their willingness to give up their time to grow in their faith, as they would have to wake up even earlier to commute from off campus for these daily meetings.
Do not underestimate the power of your testimony. When your love for God is visible like the salt and light of the world, it can have a powerful impact on the lives of those around you.
“…that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” — Romans 1:12
Also, it was my first time being on another continent. My eyes were opened to the fact that there are believers of Christ all over the world — it is indeed God’s plan to save people of every nation. I came to see that people, regardless of upbringing, all have the same condition, which is that they lost without God. I was blessed with the opportunity to get to know people from around the world through my travels. I witnessed firsthand that people cannot find hope and purpose apart from Christ. It is only through God’s working in me that I came to see these things.
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” —
2 Corinthians 2:15–16
I thank God for how He has been working not only in these areas, but also in other aspects of my life, which I cannot cover for the sake of brevity. As I reflect on my year away from Waterloo, I can see that God was and is faithful and sovereign wherever He places me. All glory be to God.
