Dear Theophilus Archive: Sept. 1999

Alumni Column: Wait For the Lord

Hello Emmanuel!

Let me begin by telling you all how much I miss you! Being away from all of you has made me really thankful for the wonderful times of fellowship that God had blessed me with while I was there. My hope and prayer for all of you is that you would make the most of your time at Emmanuel. May God bless you and all that you do there! I want to share with you so much of what God has been teaching me since I ve been gone, but I think for brevity s sake, I will share with you what God has been doing in my family over this past year. 

Since graduating in 1998, I have been working in New York City and commuting from my home out on Long Island. I decided to do this after college because I felt that God wanted me to spend time with my family. I never did have much of a family life before college, and I was convicted that God was asking me to share my life with them now especially as He had changed me so much through my college years by renewing my relationship with Jesus Christ. I felt like this was my short term ‘calling  in a way, to be with my family and to hopefully be a good witness to them for Christ. 

As I returned home, God had allowed many unfortunate circumstances to fall upon my family. It was really hard for me to understand at the time why God would let so many difficulties come our way. The things that we were going through were literally tearing us apart! I was really disheartened and confused as to how to be a witness of God s faithfulness when I felt like He wasn t being faithful to us by letting these things happen. I found myself wrestling a lot with God, crying out to Him and questioning Him in prayer. Even though I felt like those times were so futile, I look back now and see how He used those times of prayer to mold me and teach me what it means to trust and have faith in Him. In my struggling with Him, He showed me that He is in control of my life and of my family s lives. He brought to me some verses over the last year as well that encouraged me to persevere. In James 1:2-3 the Bible talks about how we ought to ‘consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  As well in 1 Peter 1:7-8 the Bible talks about how sufferings ‘have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  

In the early spring of this year, God began to move in some mighty ways in my family. Many of the hardships that were upon my family were taken away rather quickly! It really was a miracle from God and I think that all of my family was humbled by that. My parents, as a result, started attending church. Praise God! In hindsight now I can see how God had used these hardships to cause my unbelieving family to see Him. Even though I couldn t understand the hardships at the time, He has shown me that all things, good and bad, happen for a reason. I think I can even say that going through those things were worth it if it means that my parents might start to believe in Jesus. Though I don t think that they are saved just yet, I can see how they are changing slowly. My siblings, I am confident too, are changing day by day as well. 

Before I moved back home, all I can remember was having such a desire to trust God with whatever He would lay before me. I remember praying for much strength because I knew that I would need it desperately. Reflecting now after having gone through this past year with my family I thank God for answering my prayers so personally. Though this past year was wrought with much hardship, He has faithfully carried me and my family through it and caused some wonderful things to happen that assures me that this year was worth it. I am so thankful for what He has begun to do in my family, and I know that He will bring His good works to completion in our lives. I know that I still need to have much patience for the salvation of my family members, but I know that God will save them in His time. 

A verse that encourages me with my family is Psalm 27:13-14 where the Bible says ‘I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  Especially for those of you that have your families in your hearts, know that God knows of your burden for them. Know that God does have a plan for them & for He would not have saved and blessed you if He did not want to work in your families as well. 

As many of you are winding up your fall semesters and preparing for Thanskgiving or Winter Break, pray for the time that you will spend with your family. I know that God will be faithful in answering your prayers & it s all in His timing.