Mid December, 2019, I finished my work and came back to Toronto. COVID-19 had already started to slowly spread in various areas back then, and after just a few months, it quickly impacted many countries in the world. Masks were low in stock, and many people stocked up on food. It truly felt like the end of the world was near considering the rapid increase of patients with COVID-19 all over the globe, and the helplessness, fear, and worries in the face of it. As such, I faced the biggest challenge in work in the three years after baptism since I could not go where I needed to for work, and the entire job halted. However, it was during this pandemic that I truly experienced the true peace given by the Lord, which is the peace and calm that filled my heart, just as Jesus had said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
I am very fortunate to have known the Lord so I can rely on Him and not have many worries in difficult times. I thought at the time: "Since there is nothing I can do, I have the chance to experience what praying is like." Previously, after being baptized, I did not have the chance to pray except when I went to church on Saturdays for Sabbath because I was very busy with work. Moreover, I did not have the habit of praying at home, so this pandemic really was the moment for the start of my life of prayer. I truly thank God! It was this moment when I had this thought that a sister from church invited me to attend the Morning Prayer Fellowship. At the beginning, I politely declined because I felt that it was a bit too early in the morning, but the sister continued to invite me many times. She said to me, "Join the fellowship a few times and if it does not work, you can stop." Thus, my life of prayer started with the companionship of fellow church members. Before the prayer, time was set aside for a short sharing where members would share about their journey to believing in God, and they would count their blessings from God, and recount the teachings from God. The next 30 minutes would be for prayer. At the beginning, I was apprehensive about whether my knees could handle the daily 30 minute prayer. I was also worried about whether I could keep up the habit of praying. Thank God! In a blink of an eye, my life of prayer has continued for 2 years now. My spiritual life also continues to grow daily in prayer, listening to sermons, and studying and reading the Bible. The content of my prayer also gradually evolved from just praying for God's help in solving my difficulties in life and work, and for the results that I wanted, to putting my and my family's faith first, entrusting the difficulties in life and work to God, and asking God to guide me according to His will so I can come to know His will. The time I spent complaining in prayer decreased; the time I spent in reflection and thanksgiving infrared. I started to learn to intercede for the things of the church and for brothers and sisters, and during intercession, I began to feel the android strength from the Holy Spirit. I noticed that prayer time felt shorter and shorter, and the sermons easier and easier to accept. I also noticed that the sharing from brothers and sisters during Bible study gave me a more profound level of thought, and the answers to the truth in the Bible that I didn't understand before slowly became apparent. In addition, I realized that the hardship I faced at work where I could not do anything were instead successfully resolved. Moreover, I saw that my father's waist poison got much better through everyone's intercession. I have also come to understand the joy felt by the brothers and sisters who were in pain, and the relief and happiness from entrusting matters into the hands of God. Furthermore, I experienced the true meaning of Jesus' teaching recorded in Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
After returning to God in these few years, my spiritual life is akin to a newborn babe, growing day by day through listening to sermons, reading and studying the Bible, and especially through the start of my life of prayer. As we grow older, our bodies slowly address, but through prayer and constantly learning the word of God, our spiritual life can become more and more lovely, and our life will renew day by day.
The Russia-Ukraine war that started at the end of February caused me to face an even harsher challenge than before. However, I believe that with God beside me, I can rely on Him and triumph. For it is written in Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him."
May all the praise and glory be unto God's name. Amen!
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