Finding Purpose in Hope
“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”
It’s now been over a month since I joined TCM, and I realize God has prepared my heart and mind for this ministry before I even knew about TCM. This August, I went on a church mission trip to a First Nations Island. There were many prayer items for the children who would be joining our camp that I could have prayed for. However, all I asked God for was their salvation in Christ and for healing through knowing God as their eternal Father who genuinely loves them. The reason for our mission trip was not just to provide fun programs, but to share the stories of Jesus and how He could transform our lives. And regardless of our circumstances, Jesus can help us all to see our lives from His perspective.
This fall when I learned about TCM, I realized God had already made its ministry very personal to me. I had struggled with feelings of hopelessness for a long time, I wanted to give up on life, but during this mission trip those thoughts departed and I thanked God for saving my life. I know now why I am alive today and what I am to do for the rest of my life - it is to invite people to Jesus Christ. Just like Paul says in Romans 1:14-16, we owe to people who don’t know God regardless of their background because we received the greatest gift of Salvation.
Having hope in God is not Him rescuing me from the circumstances I do not want to be in. But it’s our faith believing that “He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5). My enemies were not always people but rather the lies that said that I had no more purpose in this life and that God no longer responded to me.
From these experiences, I found that It wasn’t just my previous nursing career that exhausted me but it was also my faith that lacked the desire to know God through the Scripture. I did not wholly accept God’s character or His promises but wanted to apply my limited knowledge about Him in whichever situation I was in. This is why TCM’s after-school programs are so important for the children who attend. Through the Christ-centered programs, participants learn that they do not have to be someone else before God and they recognize that they are made in His image. By building this close relationship with Him, they may find the peace and comfort that they need most in their lives.
Jesus’s birth has become a personal matter to me and being able to call Him our Father truly gives me hope. I wanted to change many aspects of my life before, but once I humbled myself and finally experienced Jesus as my Saviour, I knew I was exactly where I should be.
Allow me to close this blog with this verse from the book of Psalms again.
“Lord, What do I look for? My hope is in You.”
Merry Christmas!