In conjuction with our 40 days purpose driven life campaign and since we are supposed to have read from Chapter 1 to Chapter 21 by this week, here is something that I would like to share to you all on what God has been doing in my life this year...
When I first read this Rick Warren's book (Title of the book: Purpose Driven Life - What on earth am I for?) for the first time 1 month ago,I realised that God has been doing something to me this year. He was testing and preparing me. Why do I say so?
Near my workplace, we have FGB (Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship) service every Thursday. So, in January 05, I went to this FGB service and I said a prayer to God during singing session (as many people known it as worship session). I told God that I am submitting my career issues & relationship issues to him. I want to surrender it to him and not to worry about it. And during the message sharing of the speaker on the same day, the speaker shared on "surrendinging to God and let God direct us". I told myself.... Wah God! You are really speaking to me ah!
5 months passed. At the end of May/beginning of June 05, when I looked back, I found out that God has really tested me this half a year. And I realised that what "Rick Warren's book" pg 84 is quite true... "When you decide to surrender things to God, that decision will be tested."
For the last 5 months, I struggled in the area of my career, relationship & my direction in Young Adults Fellowship (YAF). All the fear, worries etc just slowly built up because of the situations & circumstances I was put in( I not able to write out all the circumstances here because it is just too long to write). Until at one point I had enough of all of these and I bear it no more.... I cried out to God in the office toilet when nobody was around & asked Him why he had to let me experience all these. Why I have all the fears & worries? Haven't God tested me enough already these few years? My faith was clearly shaken & fear of what is going to happen just slowly get more intensed. I started to ask God. Poured out my honest feelings, told him all my anger (just like what Chapter 12 - Pg 94 & 95 of Rick Warren have said).
"Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship with God. Reveal your resentment & feeling is the 1st step to healing." You can pray like David :" I pour out my complaints before Him & tell him all my troubles. For I am overwhelmed." Express doubt is sometimes the first step towards the next level of intimacy with God.
After I told Pastor Cheryl(our Young Adults Fellowship Pastor) that I agree to facilitate the 40 days purpose driven life campaign, I see things happening. Fear and new circumstances were getting clearer & when I started reading the book & when I read until chapter 8 - 14, it really spoke to me because - that was what I was going through that time.... I cried out to God all my worries etc.
Around 1 week before I started facilitating, I begin to be able to clear off my fear & worries one by one by different occasions. Now I started to see God's plan for me. Which include my direction in YAF, relationship issues etc. God took away my fear, assured me that I can trust in Him again & He started to give me peace & took away my worries. I was able to walk out of it in victory.
One day I woke up early in the morning and could not go back to sleep.When I traced back what had happened, I saw how things just fit into each other, how God was preparing me from early of this year until now- it was amazing and it is God's perfect timing.
He even let me experience the pain & worries that some of my friends of my age & seniors had been going through, even before I started to facilitate for this campaign. The most amazing thing is that I managed to get out of all these fears & worries & see God's plan in my life early June 05 JUST BEFORE I begin to facilitate this 40 days campaign. He knew how can I facilitate my group if I myself cannot overcome my own problems & fears? He was trimming my faith all along.
Now I have renewed my faith in Him & told Him that I really mean it when I said please guide me in my career path, relationship & my future ministry.
I know this is quite a long letter, but I just wanna share to you all that whatever circumstances you are in now, you just need to have faith that God is always watching you through because he already has plans for you ! God loves to test how patient you are & God's timing is not our timing! When you thought the timing is right but God says "NO" , "NOT YET" !
Chapter 28 - there is no shortcut to maturity. You just got to believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. Spiritual growth takes time. Be patient with God. God is never in a hurry but always on time. You just got to submit to the one whom have created you if you wanna see amazing things to happen!
Best regards,
Madeline ( 29/6/05 )
p.s: Please look out for more of my testimonies/ experiences in regard to Rick Warren's Purpose No. 4 & Purpose No.5 once you have finished this whole book.