Give Thanks

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today I like to bless you with a testimony of how the Lord can provide beyond our imaginations. I have recently completed my 1^st year of studies in NTU and this thanksgiving is definitely about my life in school!

It all began last August when I had just started university life, fresh out of National Service. Due to certain miscommunications and lapses, I missed the application period for a room in NTU’s hall. Having given up the idea of staying within NTU, I had to commute to and fro NTU for the first two weeks of school. Being all alone and new to NTU, I thank God I could approach a Poly Senior, a final year student who was staying in Hall 4, to share my troubles.

He had encouraged me not to give up applying for a room in Hall despite me missing the deadline. With my senior’s help, I wrote in to the Hall Office to give it a shot and as expected, I was initially turned down. But eventually, I was given an exception to apply since I was a freshman and I was on Medical Leave after my knee operation last May.

So I successfully got a room in Hall 13, however was not the hall that I was hoping to be allocated to. So my senior went through the trouble with his hall president and hall officer to arrange for me to be transferred to hall 4. After running back and fro between Halls 4 and 13, I managed to get the paperwork sorted out and moved in after school commenced for two weeks.

Having heard around about the competitiveness of staying in hall for subsequent years, I initially laid out plans to secure my hall room for the next year by getting into the Inter-Varsity-Polytechnic Team (School Team) for badminton, but unexpectedly I was not accepted due to the supersaturated team of seniors. I began to develop a sense of insecurity as I imagined myself having to travel daily to school which starts at 830am every morning, not to mention the four hours I would waste on travelling each day! So this insecurity led me to involvement with hall activities, on top of the insane schoolwork and commitment to Campus Crusade. At the same time, I committed my issue to the Lord that He will make a way for me to get a place in hall next year.

Did I forget to mention how He provided for me in the first two weeks of school? On the second week when I got a place in hall 4, my brother had to travel overseas and agreed to lend me his car for a week so I could move into hall. To top that off, my aunt unexpectedly gave me a generous amount of money for my studies, which I did not really need since my dad is financing my studies. Nevertheless, how awesome is that right?

Through this first year of studies, it was definitely much dreading and a time of testing for me and of my faith. Despite seeing how He provided for me all these times, I still could not completely trust in Him in certain issues. After my first semester exams, I got desperate about studies and even thought of quitting NTU. This led to my family discussing the possibility of getting me a place to stay right outside NTU. It was something I truly saw God working as I would never have imagined that possibility.

Then as my first year came to an end just weeks ago, I no longer had the intention to stay outside NTU and could only pray and hope for a place in hall 4, like my many other fellow hall residents. It was then during the recent exams that God intervened.

I was in hall mugging for papers on a Sunday evening with a couple of hall friends. We had just returned from dinner and that was when we chanced upon a suspected arsonist in our hall. We were really caught by surprise at how things turned out even after campus security and the Police took over the case. We were pretty traumatized over the incident and yet have to prepare for our papers that week.

Life went on as usual, but I felt deep inside me that God has something in store. I could not tell what it was and despite me seeking Him, I found no answers. I left it as it was. And two weeks after the incident, the Dean of Students invited us to meet him. So today, I went down with my hall friends to meet him.

Today’s meeting with the Dean gave me a pleasant shock. We expected no more than a word of gratitude and a letter of commendation from him. We had wild guesses about the rewards for us. Yet today, God reminded me of His enduring faithfulness and love. My Lord, Jesus has promised that He has plans to prosper me, plans to give me hope and a future. He has assured me that He can provide more than I can imagine. The Dean revealed to us that we will be guaranteed a place in hall for the next academic year! Praise God and thank God!

Words cannot express my gratitude and my regrets. My regrets of failing to trust in God that He can do all things for me; that He loves me and knows what I need; that even when I fail to believe He can still provide. I am writing this because I am loved by Jesus and I want you to know that Jesus loves you too! Yes you, whoever you are reading this!

In the religions and faiths that I have known, the gods may not bless you even when you try your utmost to please them. The gods may choose whether they want to show you mercy depending on how much you can offer to them. Not for my God; not for Jesus Christ. God the Father of Jesus, loved and loves you and me so much that He sent Jesus His only Son to die for yours and my sins even before we know of it. Jesus loves you unconditionally, and all He wants is you to say yes to His love!

I pray that this will bless you and sorry for the long message, but I sincerely hope that you will know that God wants to bless you, I do not just believe in a God, I have a relationship with Jesus Christ because of His love. I am not just a Christian but a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God bless,

Marcus Loh