As I was reading today's devotional, the headline struck me.

"Share Your Story".

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”-Mark 5:18-19 (NIV)

I've always wanted to share the amazing story of how God came into my life but felt it a tad too personal for public sharing.

However, I take this as a sign that God wants me to share so that others can come to know Him through this story.

So here goes:

I was a Buddhist since birth. I'd pray to Buddha, but my spiritual state went on a decline when I realised Buddha isn't a God per se. He is a religious teacher setting us up for eternal happiness by following in his footsteps. 

For a period of time, I became an agnostic mostly due to confusion. I stopped praying.

Unbeknownst to many, I was silently suffering from self-esteem issues, anxiety and mild depression for 1+ year when I was in uni.

On the outside I look normal, but on the inside emptiness consumed me.

Discouraged with many issues that I felt was wrong with my life, I felt hollow and purposeless. I remembered coming back from class, constantly asking "what is the purpose of my life". Sadly, I couldn't answer it at the time.

One day, I was coming back from class as usual. That week I was fighting a particularly tough battle of the mind. Thank God my friend helped me so much too throughout this tough period of time.

As I was walking back to my room, the heights suddenly felt tempting. I kept fighting with the voices in my head asking me to give up. 

As soon as I opened my room, I heard a voice in my heart say, "read the Bible".

Though I didn't know where that came from, I decided to listen and bought a study Bible online from Kinokuniya.

Throughout waiting for the Bible to arrive, I felt spiritually thirsty. 

As soon as I collected the Bible and read the first page on Genesis, a gush of warmth and peace flooded my heart.

Over the months, I was slowly but surely transformed by the Word. 

I continued reading the Bible on and off for a few months without anyone knowing about it, until one day my best friend who was a Buddhist confessed that she has been going to church with my other friend for a few times. 

On that day itself, we were shocked and pleased by God's plan to reveal this to each other. She then invited me to go to church on the very next day.

The rest, as they say, is history.

I will always be forever grateful that Christ saved my life that day and also through His work on the cross. My only wish for this life is to be His humble servant to carry out His purpose for the world through me.

Though hard days are aplenty, God has consistently reminded me that He will always be with me and I shall not be afraid.

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?-Psalm 118:6 (NIV)

I am so blessed to finally see and hear the good news, that we are fully redeemed by His work on the cross. 

Being a Christian, our lives are transformed not by legalism and good works, but by grace through faith. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.-Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

My Christian brother at the time (now boyfriend, another miracle story for another day) bought me The Case For Faith as a Christmas present. It answered so many questions that I had as a new Christian and solidified my faith. 

Another hallmark of my Christian journey is reading the Sinner's Prayer. I stumbled upon it kinda by accident as I was reading KLBC's welcome book. 

What happened after that is an unexplainable peace, God's way of saying "welcome home".

If you yearn to experience peace and His forgiving love, pick up a Bible today and just let God's word and love lead you home.

Always remember, God loves us all and desires us to have an intimate relationship with Him. 

May God's peace be with you always. 

“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.”

― St. Augustine of Hippo

PC: Cristian Escobar (Unsplash)