God’s Ministry in the Family Marketplace : Kim Ling's Testimony
By Chew Kim Ling
In Jan 2018, when I was made redundant at work after 30 years as a career banker. Little did I know it would be the start of a different kind of work which was going to be so fulfilling - as God’s minister in the family marketplace. In the following one and half years, I witnessed God as the Author of the rescue story of my only sibling sister. Today, accompanying my sharing is Lie Leng’s testimony.
As I reflect on how this wonderful blessing has come upon Lie Leng and my family, I saw the interactive play of the 4Es of TMC’s faith journey of making disciples who make disciples – Empower, Engage, Equip and Establish.
Empower through prayer
I believe the seed of faith is planted when we start with prayer. In my sister’s faith journey, the seed was sown more than 30 years ago when her classmate Prisca prayed for her to come to know Jesus when they were merely teenagers. My realisation to pray in the spirit for my family started when I was posted to work in Bangkok for nearly 2 years even though we were physically apart. This reinforces the mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit beyond time and space.
Engage by being present
How does one who does not know God see God? I believe others can know God through the lives of the community of faith and their acts of kindness. Before I stopped working, I was overly preoccupied with office and church work and did not intentionally set aside time for my sister and mother. I asked for forgiveness for neglecting them and consciously prioritised time with the family during my one and half years as a homemaker. This led to the rebuilding of the bond of kinship through regular family meals and more involvement in each other’s lives. We even went on our first family trip together with my nephews to visit our late father’s hometown in Ipoh Malaysia.
Equip to share faith in a way that builds bridges
Through serving in the Witness and Evangelism ministry, I came to be aware of the need to be respectful and gentle when sharing my faith with non-believers. I find it most important to learn to listen and understand their point of view and concern rather than to impose my own views. In our Asian culture, harmony and filial piety are values highly regarded. Notwithstanding that the fifth commandment in the Old Testament is to “Honour your father and mother”, there is a perception that being a Christian is likely to cause disharmony with non-believing family members especially in how we pay respect to our deceased loved ones. Through deeper conversations with Lie Leng, I came to know that she is open to learning about Christianity only after her non-believing parents-in-law and our mother has passed on due to her duties to the families during occasions of ancestral worship.
In my human understanding, I thought that was probably the timing for my sister. God, however, had His own perfect timing and plan for Lie Leng. He brought together two occasions in the same month to bridge her concern and allowed my sister to understand how a Christian can continue to uphold the tradition of respecting our deceased loved ones. On 4 May 2019, my family attended TMC Chapel of Life Memorial Service where they saw for the first time how Christians remember their deceased loved ones in prayer and flowers were offered as a token of love. Two weeks later, Lie Leng attended the nationwide “Celebration of Hope” event at Prisca’s invitation. As we chatted over lunch after the service, my friend Geok Cheng, who used to believe in Buddhism and later accepted Christ through an Alpha course, shared about her faith journey. She is the first and only Christian in her and her husband’s families. God answered prayers for harmony in the families to prevail despite her conversion. Geok Cheng also exercised wisdom and discernment as a new Christian. For example, she continued to be present with her families at Ching Ming Festival, in a manner honouring God and yet demonstrating filial piety and love for the family.
Establish with the support of the community of faith
With that encouragement and assurance from someone who could truly understand her dilemma, Lie Leng surprised us all when she said she was now ready to take the next step and asked what she should do next. In the following month, we happily came together weekly to study God’s assurances of faith for a new Christian to help establish the foundation for her young faith. My sister is a keen learner and very diligent in studying the Bible. After visiting several churches near her home, God led her to Christ Methodist Church where she now regularly attends bible study sessions with a small group and even served at the recent Chinese New Year community outreach event in Chai Chee. One year on, she has the full support of her family and is ready to be baptised.
I am so thankful to our Father God to be able to witness and be part of my sister’s salvation and faith journey. This has reinforced my belief that wherever you are placed right now, at home or at work, you can be part of God’s exciting rescue plan for someone whom God has placed in your path. All He desires for us is to love the lost as He loves, be obedient and intentional in our daily witness and God will do the rest in His perfect ways and timing.
About the writer
Chew Kim Ling is chairperson of the Witness & Evangelism ministry at Trinity Methodist Church