Step Out – Emily Wong
When I got married to Allan in 2003, I knew that we would eventually move back to his home in Hong Kong, but we didn’t have a firm timeline. More than 10 years later, in July 2016 we finally set a plan in motion, the next summer we would pack our bags and get on a plane. We were filled with excitement and anticipation as we imagined how the move would go and what it would be like to finally live as a family in Hong Kong.
About 6 months before our departure date I had my first job interview and soon after, my first rejection email. Then another interview and another rejection. Another interview...another rejection. Each time brought concern from well-meaning friends and family who thought it “might be best to wait”, but we felt God’s peace and continued to move ahead. Exactly 3 weeks before our flight out, I found myself sitting on the kitchen floor with tears streaming down my face as I read a politely-worded rejection email from my final job prospect. As I listened to our three sons playing in the next room and thought about moving them across the world, I couldn’t help but wonder if everyone was right. Were we making a huge mistake?
After that final rejection, a dear friend shared a song by The Sing Team that is based on Psalm 42. It says, “Let my sighs give way to songs that sing about your faithfulness/Let my pain reveal your glory as my only real rest/Let my losses show me all I truly have is you/'Cause all I truly have is You.” This was the encouragement we needed to focus not on what wasn’t working out but on all the ways that God had provided in the past. We knew we could follow where God was leading even though it seemed crazy to others.
“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God. When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of You.” -Psalm 42:5-6 (The Message)
Once we arrived in Hong Kong it was actually a blessing for me not to be working. God showed up for us in so many ways during our transition. When our kids needed more emotional support than we were expecting, I had the flexibility to be there for them. Our son Paul broke his arm the fourth month we were here. Not having a job made it easy to take him to medical appointments and therapies. Allan landed a new job just days before his US job contract ended. This was not an easy time in our lives, but we are so thankful that we stepped out in boldness. We can take big steps because we are loved by a big God.
