11AM SUNDAY SERVICE (EARLY 2013): WALK OF LIFE From Sunil Varughese
I truly believe God moulds and shapes us in our walk of life for the purpose in life He has for us. This ‘walk’ at times can take us out of our comfort zone, sometimes put us in periods of transitions, times where we seek answers and in situations where we cannot see what lies ahead. But in the end, what is developed is a new level of faith and trust that seeks new boundaries and a renewed relationship with the Father. I moved to Singapore in 2012, grateful to God for a new role, location and culture to learn with amazing food and good weather to boot! In my eyes, things went well – I met Joan (my fiancée), and was very busy with work that soon became the prime aspect of my life. Hence, spending time with God slowly became secondary. Suddenly, at the end of 2012, I had to resign from my job and things began to become uncertain. I think these are moments in our life where we realize how everything we have belongs to God and it can all be gone in a day! (in situations like these, the book of Job always comes to mind). One thing I realized from the start is that trials are not punishments! Instead, they are platforms that renew our relationships, challenges us to unlearn and learn new definitions within ourselves and grow spiritually with God by seeking new boundaries. With much looming uncertainty, both Joan and myself had to face being unemployed simultaneously, apartment lease issues, reconsiderations of our finances, and I was also dealing with visa restrictions. To top things off, we also had to take care of our dog. We both had a lot to deal with and time was of the essence, but we decided that we needed to set time aside to be with God, both as individuals and as a couple. We made a commitment to prioritize prayer, though it was hard to be disciplined and it still is – we are learning! Though we had been raised in the Christian faith, we had to make a decision as a couple to revalidate God as the Foundation of our lives. Seeking answers in prayer does not necessarily mean your questions will be answered immediately. God opens doors in His time and His way. Things did not change overnight for us, but God always lights the path with rays of His hope. Calvary and our Lifegroup gave us a lot of support in our faith during this time. Today, when I look back, there are many moments where I count my blessings for God’s grace. One example is my ex-company cancelling my visa 3½ weeks late, thereby buying me almost a month of extra time to find a new job. Joan was blessed with a job right before my visa was cancelled, so the apartment lease could be transferred to her name, and we did not need to find our dog a foster home! After 2½ months, God opened the door for me for a new job. Though it might not have been what I wanted, I know He has a plan for me to grow. I have learned humility and to gratefully accept what I have and I know that the Lord carried me through this whole transition like a Shepherd carries his lamb, safely and securely on His shoulders. How awesome is our Lord!
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