Wan Phing
I grew up in a Christian family, went to church all my life, got baptised in water and participated in Christian activities, but I didn’t know God. Church to me was routine and a social activity. I wasn’t even sure Jesus was real.
I came to Manchester at 18 for university, and it was a difficult time. I found it hard to make friends and became very lonely, confused and depressed. A flatmate invited me to church but I only went occasionally.
I was more interested in going to clubs, having fun and trying new things, but they didn’t make me happy. I soon spent my time drinking alcohol and pursuing relationships. By the second year of university I had completely messed up and didn’t know what to do with myself.
One afternoon I woke up and God spoke to me saying: “I will take care of you.” I knew it was God even though I had never heard Him speak before. I didn’t think God knew what I was going through but He did and He wanted to help me. That afternoon, I committed to following Him and decided to stop living life my own way. I let Him take charge and allowed Him to do what He said He would.
When I lived my own way I was stubborn, rebellious, filled with low self-esteem and self-hate. I did things that damaged my life. Jesus freed me from my bitterness and problems.
I had to face the consequences of the bad decisions I had made, but He helped me to overcome the issues. I started having a sense of right and wrong and lost the desires for the things I once liked that damaged my life. God placed me in a church who are my family. They love me, encourage me and pray for me; it is more than just routine.
God did not bring me to Manchester to mess up and be a failure. Last summer I graduated with a 2:1 in my degree. He also provided thousands of pounds for me to train in journalism and gain experience with the Manchester Evening News, the Guardian and the BBC. It’s more than I could have hoped for or dared to imagine.
Deciding to stop living life my own way and to follow Jesus, is the best thing I have ever done. Without Him, I had nothing. With Jesus, I have everything.
Wan Phing
