God’s Love and My Disneyland

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

God ordains the steps of those He loves, in our work and daily life, and even in some unexpected places.

When I was a child, my older sister Lay Hua would often take me to meet with her friends, and to church conventions. They would chat together in English, a language that I knew very little of. The more they spoke, the less I did, until eventually I became a person of very few words. As a child, one of my greatest wishes had been to learn English. However, despite all my studying, I could not pick up the language. This want remained at the back of my mind throughout my younger years. 

Growing up, the only religion I knew was the one from my father’s temple. My father was a temple medium, and a popular figure within the Chinese community due to his dedication towards the idols. This same commitment was also expected of my siblings and me. Despite this, we were terrified of the idols. The temple was often filled with strange noises, and the origins of those sounds haunted us. 

I chose Christianity when I was about 17 years old. To me it was a more peaceful, clean, and quiet religion than my father’s temple. However, I regarded Christianity as nothing more than a religion for over 20 years, before I first encountered God.

I got married in 1981, and for over 17 years, I was a housewife. I had longed to explore the world, and to me that meant entering the workforce. However, I had no qualifications to hold a job, and very little confidence in myself. Despite my doubts, I prayed to God, asking Him to create an opportunity for me. At the time I laughed to myself; the chance of me getting a job that I would enjoy was slim. Still, I wanted to be a career woman. The next morning, I received a call that simply amazed me. A florist shop called, saying that they wanted to hire me. How could my prayers have been answered so quickly? How could it be that I had not only received a job, but one that I wanted? But God is a powerful God, and nothing is impossible for Him.

On the first day of the job, I was very fearful. I was afraid to talk to strangers, and unsure of how to conduct myself. I remember that my boss left me very early in the day, and I was alone in the shop. During my lunch break, I pondered whether to remain working in the shop. As I went to buy my lunch, I heard a voice telling me to “Glorify God”. At first, I was very confused. Where was this voice coming from? There was no one around me. These words resonated within me and I was convinced that persevering through this would bring glory to God, so I continued.

I worked hard, learning to communicate with others, and picked up vital work skills. My boss commended me on my diligence and eagerness to work, even wanting to give me a share in the business. I thought that this was it, that I would become a “business-woman”. However, it became clear that the florist shop was doing very poorly. I discovered that I would not be able to get my salary for six months. I waited for as long as possible for the business to turn around. After all, God had provided me this job; surely, He would save it? However, that did not happen, and I was forced to quit. I worked for over two years as a florist. At the time I asked, “Why, God? This was the job You gave me; why would You take it away from me?”

But I had no choice but to believe that this was all a part of His plan. I continued to pray for a new job, this time a part-time one, so I could spend more time with God. He provided once again. He led me to DUMC’s children’s education ministry, TJC (Tadika Juara Cerdik). When I first began, God gave me a vision. In it, He told me that this was to become my Disneyland. At the time I had no idea what that meant. I continued to ask God how this was so, but I received no reply.

As I became accustomed to the new task before me, a different part of God’s plan was revealed to me. In TJC my dream of being able to speak English was slowly fulfilled. In my new position, I was able to build my confidence in the English language. In the beginning this was a struggle for me, and without faith there would have been no way that I could have become a teacher. I was like the small children that I taught. I was fearful, and in disbelief that I could be a teacher. But God made a way for me. He was like a father bringing a timid child to their first day of school. For, “God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13).