We talk about “God’s faithfulness” a lot, don’t we? But what does it actually look like? What does it feel like in your gut? For me, it’s a picture from 2011. I see a seminary student, totally buried in textbooks, working a full-time job, and dreaming of ministry. And then, somehow, by a grace I still don’t fully understand, that student is now an Elder.
When Pastor Lai and Elder Chang first invited us to HOC6, the church was in a transition. I was just “the student” with a big dream. Now, almost 15 years have just vanished. That journey from student to shepherd…well, it’s my personal proof. I didn’t just see God’s faithfulness from a distance; I had to learn to depend on it, just to get through the week of serving, leading, and caring for this family.
But the best pictures, the ones that really stick in my heart, aren’t about me.
I see it at our church retreats. I can still picture us huddled together, way too late at night, with ramen by our side, just talking… sharing the real, messy parts of our lives and seeing God show up. “Faithfulness” stopped being an abstract word and became this overwhelming joy I felt years later, watching our kids doing the exact same thing. Jesus gave them that same gift.
I hear it at our baptisms. Every single one was a PARTY! We weren’t just watching people get soaked; we were celebrating with all of heaven, cheering for a soul saved and another win against sin and death.
I feel that faithfulness every time I visit our Mandarin and Cantonese congregations. Let’s be honest, the language barrier is real. I miss a lot of the words. But then, we eat together. And as we’re passing plates and smiling over a table, I see it. I see this powerful truth that needs no translation: we are one family, bound by the love of Christ.
And I see it every… single… Sunday. Right here. I’ve had the joy of watching our kids grow up. I remember them! The naughty, class-disrupting, teacher-interrupting, “I really have to go to the bathroom… again?” little ones. And now? I look at them and see mature, Bible-reading, God-fearing, Spirit-filled adults. That leap from cute, little chaos to deep character is one of the most powerful sermons on God’s work I’ve ever seen.
Look, God has been so faithful. He’s been faithful in the good times, and He’s been even more present in the hard ones. He gave us this community. This family. My gratitude for Jesus, our Lord, is just…overwhelming.
And after 15 years of seeing Him work, I cannot wait to see what He’s going to do next.
