My Faith, My Life

It felt great to be able to fulfil a vow, especially one that was made in earnest. Twenty five months was such a long time ago but I will never forget the evening when I prayed from the bottom of my heart to a God I hardly knew. I pleaded. I bargained. I cajoled. If Mum got well again, I would dedicate my entire life to serving Him. Man proposes, God disposes. He did not heal her. He took her away from me instead. Nevertheless, I was greatly consoled by the gift of a vision, one that showed Mum was no longer in agony but in absolute bliss. That gift was worth more than anything I can ever possess. That was to be the turning point of my life.

My conviction in the existence of God has never ceased since. I have become a follow of Jesus. In His teachings, I have found a purpose and a direction. My life has never been more different than it has been the past two years since my baptism. This way of life is one I have been searching for all my life. I believe I am a better person now because I have been touched by the grace of God. There is no looking back now. The only way to contentment is to keep His commandments and to live a Christlike life. This I attempt to achieve in all the things that I do.

This morning, I was given the opportunity to make good the vow I made two years ago. Vincent, one of the catechists of the cathedral, invited me to share my journey of faith and my life with a group of youths aged between sixteen and seventeen who will be receiving their Sacrament of Confirmation in October. Shared I did and I hope I have contributed my part in making a difference. These are the people who will be building the church that Jesus founded long after I am gone. I pray they will take Christianity to greater heights.

This, I hope, will be the beginning of many more opportunities for me to share and spread the Word of God. This is one vow that I will not only discharge once but one that I will keep fulfilling as long as I am able. I have received more than I have given. I have been blessed. I continue to be blessed. It is only right that I share this wonderful experience so that others too may discover the greatness and the mercy of the Almighty.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

11 thoughts on “My Faith, My Life”

  1. The most effective testimony is one that is lived out for the world to see. And it’s a blessing to see how God is working in you and through you to touch others.

  2. yes, i would agree with lucia, it would be a bleesing to all of us and a great privilege to be able to learn of your sharing. btw, you look exactly like an older version of a friend my mine, especailly in regards with the hair…. 🙂

  3. lucia,
    It was not documented. It was a series of questions and answers. I did not have time to prepare for it properly because I was in the midst of preparing to go to KL.

    hairy knee,
    Terima kasih.

    Marita,
    Thanks.

    bkwom,
    I was given the opportunity. I hope I have mae good use of it to impress on those young minds.

    emily,
    It is all in my blog anyway. Old? Hmm…

  4. I was the one who invited Peter. I believed he has really inspired the youth to take up the crosses, to march with faith in their journey towards spiritual maturity. They find Peter very interesting and some of the questions centered around Peter and his girl friend! I remembered the central theme of Peter’s sharing was ‘Do good for our Lord’, and ‘if I can do it, you can definitely do it.’ They were of course v. curious with Peter’s hairstyle!

  5. Emily,
    😀

    Vicent,
    Thank you for giving me that opportunity. That sharing has strengthened my faith. At the same time, I could also see places where I have failed in my faith and hopefully improve on it. I pray your little flock has learnt as much as I have learnt from them. God bless.

  6. God bless you Peter. I’m glad that you’ve taken up the cross and be a living testimony esp to the young minds, what with all these wordly distractions and immoral things that the media/internet is showering the society nowadays!

  7. mrbadak,
    I try, but I do fail a lot of times. As Christian, I still have a long way to go before I can truly say that I have done it all His Way. There are still a lot for me to learn. I guess I will be a Neophyte for a long time more. God bless you too.

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