Plateau? Sow! - Elizabeth Mok
In the past 5 years, I found being able to survive a single day without pain was a great blessing from Father God. I have been suffering from multiple health issues: besides depression, there are undefined issues that no medical professionals I have consulted could explain. It is a '“hallelujah” for every day that goes by without numbness, cramped knees, back pain or neck pain. It is a definite joy to be able to walk, sit and sleep without experiencing these symptoms.
I used to be a person who cannot remain still. I always fill my schedule up with various activities. I love to take up challenges such as running a half-marathon, or solo mission trips to desolate places. I even once joined a trekking trip to The Everest Base Camp (though I needed rescue by a helicopter half way lol). Thus, it has been a huge change for me in the past 5 years. Everything came with much constraint, and it was such a challenge physically, mentally and emotionally that I have ended up praying a lot. Most of the time I was praying in tears silently because I found myself useless, I felt I was a burden to others. Even as a young person I saw no hope. It was as if life was about surviving, not living, not to mention living to the fullest.
But, life goes on, right?
What I learnt in all these years was to surrender and be obedient to the Lord. In Matthew 6:33, it says, "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Thankfully, the most devastating season has passed. It does not mean I am completely healed in every aspect in the physical realm, but I am able to do something FOR GOD within my limitations. I started to build a new lifestyle; drawing digital Christian illustrations, watching worldwide sermons to strengthen my faith and so on. I am also grateful that God had called me to serve in the worship team in the Chinese Community Fellowship at The Vine. Through these years, God has shown me my value and identity is in HIM.
Brothers and sisters, let me be real with you. Occasionally my faith is still shaken, and I have experienced spiritual attacks drawing me back into darkness. However, a close sister who journeyed with me kept encouraging me to first "eat the bread" (read God’s words). I am a person who struggles to finish reading a book, but despite that, I started the Bible-in-a-year plan since the beginning of 2022, and I realised that when I draw closer to HIS words, knowing more about HIS truth, God’s unexplainable peace was able to overcome my fears.
What is immeasurably more is that God continues to open doors in HIS perfect timing. When I heard about the news of the upcoming church plant, I was very excited and my heart leapt with joy. I have been with The Vine Church for about 8 years now, and I am finally seeing it come true. Immediately after this news was announced, I went straight to the info session registration without any hesitation, shared about what resonates with my heart and my desire to serve. Meanwhile, there are also opportunities to equip myself including learning a cappella and piano, so that I could be more prepared for a potential choir audition opportunity in August. Ultimately, I want to sow all the seeds that God has deposited within me, partnering with beautiful men and women in church planting next year.
I believe many of you may feel like you are hitting a plateau in the past few years, perhaps due to politics and Covid-19, suffering from feeling trapped and harassed. Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you to keep sowing seeds no matter what! Ecclesiastes 11:6 says "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." God has already blessed each of us with seeds (gifts), and WE ARE SEEDS. Let us not wait; stop looking for what we could receive from God. SOW NOW, SOW MORE, so that God will multiply what we give in many more areas. Harvest will come along in God's perfect timing.
Sow it before you see it. See it before you see it.
