NUS Catholic Students Society
Gabriel Kho
Year 2 | Social Work
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February 20, 2022
Hello brothers and sisters! My name is Gabriel and today I will be sharing my MTR testimony with you. This was back in 2021 semester 2, where I remembered looking forward to MTR, simply seeking a time of respite from a busy first half of the sem, but of course the Lord had bigger plans. On the first day at OYP, we were brought through a session on the road to Emmaus and being called to go on mission for the Lord in our lives. As I reflected on these themes and who God was inviting me to go to, the first people that came to mind were my family, specifically my older sister. This was in a season where I was struggling a lot more, becoming easily impatient and angry with her and getting into arguments frequently, which soured our relationship and left us either hurtful towards or ignoring each other. I knew this was something that upset my mum as well, but despite knowing that it wasn’t how I was called to live, it was difficult for me to let go of it. When I brought this intention to the SOWers in my group during prayer min, I received a truth from a sister that Jesus would be the One to bring healing to my family. Receiving this truth brought me a lot of hope in that I knew that I was not alone in this battle, and if I properly surrendered it to Christ, it was an act of surrender to my Lord who had the power to heal. Even if the process was slow, it was one that I could entrust to Him.
Over the past year, I have come to see that even with my own short-temper and failure to love her and my family, there have been so many other times where she has responded with love. The Lord had shown me that even as I saw myself on mission for my sister, it was really God who was saving me in this aspect through showing me how she was the one loving my family and me instead. In the little everyday things that she did for each one of us, she exemplified the selflessness that Christ calls us to.
From this, I believe the Lord was showing me the need to surrender my hardened heart towards my expectations of her as the eldest sibling, as well as letting go of my pride where I felt I took my prayer life more seriously than she did. A brother recently shared a bible verse with me that was quite apt; James 2:17, where “In the same way faith, if good deeds do not go with it, is quite dead.” And so what good was my prayer life if I could not love? However, similar to the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus, the Lord invited me not to a state of despair but to one of trust and hope, for He desired to meet me where I was at even in my shortcomings. While the struggle persists at times, with conflicts here and there, I know I can offer up this relationship to God in prayer, turning to him in the times I have failed. Through being reminded again of the times I have seen Christ in her and how it has allowed me to be more reflective and aware in my interactions, trying each day to be more patient and loving has led to an improvement in our relationship, and I continue to try, knowing that there is still room for growth that the Lord calls me to.
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I thought I’d share about my second day of MTR as well. In the end the Lord did give me some rest from a hectic semester, reminding me again that there was more to life than just my studies. My group went hiking at Southern Ridges, but instead of taking the normal route, we went off-track on an adventure in the jungle and had some trouble navigating, which was quite crazy but also quite fun. The hike also gave us the opportunity to share in each other’s lives, to listen to and be inspired by each other’s faith journeys, as well as partake in the simple joys of being with and having fun in community.
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Brothers and sisters, just as the Lord has promised good things for me, so does He desire to give to you, to meet you wherever you are at. Trust in His promise, that He does not forsake you no matter what circumstance you find yourself in. Whether you are excited for the upcoming MTR or find yourself anxious to be present in community, know that Jesus invites you to find rest in Him. Will you give your yes to finding rest in the Lord this MTR?