God Saved Me in the Midst of my Struggles

God came into my life and it was never the same again.

By Catherine Lim, Harborlight Church

I grew up in a religious Chinese family. My mother is very pious and devout in her religious beliefs. From a young age, I always wondered about the Christian faith and had thoughts of going to church. However, because of my mother’s beliefs, I did not pursue this matter further.

The Beginning of Finding God

In 2019, I went through a season of struggle at home with my family, as well as at work. My husband was also busy juggling work commitments and part-time studies. That was a season in my life where I often felt alone and emotionally distressed. Whilst trying to hold it all together, I was physically tired due to the lack of sleep and often retreated into myself. I was in a very dark place in my life.

During that period, my friend, William, shared with me about a children’s program in his church. He shared with me that this Royal Rangers program is intentional in teaching children good values and leadership skills. I was keen to find out more and decided to bring my daughter to give it a try. During my first visit to the church service in Harborlight, I experienced a sudden overflowing of joy within me. Without me even doing anything, this indescribable joy just came upon me so unexpectedly. I also felt very welcome and comfortable with the church members. A lot of people came up to talk to me and I did not feel pressured.

God’s Word Opened my Heart

After my visit to Harborlight, I was drawn to read the Bible on my own. Every experience was new to me, and I had not learned about Time Alone with God (TAWG) yet. So, I just picked up the Bible and read it like a storybook.

I came upon this verse in Joshua 1:9 that said—“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I felt that for the longest time, I had been waiting for someone to say this to me. And right at that moment, I felt the heaviness in my heart lifted from me. Immediately, I knew that there is power in God’s Word. God’s Word gave me clarity—almost like how light would pierce through the fog and bring about clarity and direction.

God Healed Me

Of course, at the beginning I still had my doubts. But I held onto God’s words to me. One day while I was out to get groceries, I suddenly experienced a sharp pain in my right knee due to a prior injury. And not only was I carrying a lot of groceries, I was also walking uphill. I was in great pain but I remembered what a friend in church shared about prayer. And so, I placed my hand on my right knee and began to pray—“In the name of Jesus, please remove the pain in my knee. Amen.” In an instant, the pain was gone, and it has not come back since then!

My Salvation

I knew in my heart that God is real, and that He hears all our prayers. Shortly after that encounter, I decided to commit myself to Jesus and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior.

Choosing to give my life to Jesus has been the best decision in my life.

Choosing to give my life to Jesus has been the best decision in my life. I learned to move forward amidst my struggles and to focus on Jesus. I learned to forgive myself and not look back at my past regrets. I have grown to be less quick-tempered and today I’m a much calmer and happier person. I feel a greater purpose in my life and am excited to see God unfolding His will and purpose for me.

In my journey of faith, I am certain that the Bible is my living teacher—God’s word is life to me, and no matter what problems and challenges I’d be facing, I know that I can always trust and rely on God.