Reflecting on 2 0 0 6 ! 6 0 0 2

The end has come to an end and as a person who loves penning down his thoughts, this year is actually the first year my reflections are documented. It is especially important for me to reflect upon this year as 2006 marked a significant phase of my Christian life. I was randomly going through emails which were sent over the past year and I was reminded of how much I have growth and progressed over the course of the year. From a person who was still lost in his own identity, I have found my worth in Christ and become someone who recognize that he can be empowered to do greater things for Him.

The Lord brought me back to Him in January. Although I accepted Christ in Feb 05, I never really felt close to the Lord or served Him in any way last year. In fact, last year was a year of distance from the Lord with the events which happened in my army unit and my previous relationship. Attending the encounter weekend in January was the turning point in my walk with Christ. The Lord taught me what it really means to live a Christian life, a life which He will be proud of. From that day onwards, my life was re-dedicated to Him as I begin to lead my life purposefully for Him.
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During the next few months, the Lord brought me closer to Him through various events such as Sanctification Week, G12 Conference, and Good Friday harvest. I was guided closely by a wonderful group of brothers in which I was motivated and challenged to grow spiritually and also to persevere and encourage me to stay strong in my faith. June marked my rebirth in Christ through my baptism. My baptism was a testimony of the Lord’s miracle in my life as I seek in faith for my family’s approval. It was by the grace of God that I am saved and I was ready to serve the Lord for the purposes which He has called me for. Those few months were a period of spiritual maturity which prepared me for the next phase of my Christian life.

I’ve always have doubts about my leadership capabilities in the past. All this changed when I understood how everyone can be a leader and that the Lord empowers everyone to be a leader in their own fields. I was soon given opportunities to lead and when I became one of the leaders under Kenneth in July, it was an affirmation from the Lord that I can be used mightily for His purpose. Being a leader in the Kingdom of Christ is really not about fulfilling one’s satisfaction but serving others with the love of the Lord.

Becoming one of Kenneth’s spiritual sons also meant more than a leadership opportunity. It is the providence of the comfort and love of a family which the Lord wants to me to receive and be blessed with. Over the next few months, the Lord worked through Kenneth to express His love for me. I will always remember the Muar trip for SLTC in September when I was deeply touched by this love, the love which had been missing in my life but now I’ve seek and received with the grace of God. I’m thankful to the Lord for placing this spiritual family into my life and allowing me to understand what the warmth of family love really is.

The end of national service in November marked the start of a new beginning for me, the beginning of 2 months of intense training from the Lord. Many of the commitments which I had were new first-time experiences and through these exposures, the Lord taught me even more than I could ever imagined and my learning potential was stretched during that period.

Being involved as a mentor in New Town Secondary’s service learning project, the Cambodia trip, anchoring sessions during the sub-tribe retreat, assisting in security issues for Christmas @ Orchard were opportunities blessed by the Lord to expose me to new experiences and learning. More significantly, in the midst of the preparation for the various commitments, I gave up much of my personal time and I learnt a lot about sacrificial for the Lord. It was like going through 2 months of vigorous personal training and I was pushed beyond my limits to do my best in every one of my commitments. There were moments during the span of these 2 months when I wondered why am I so kept busy when I should be relaxing but the Lord always bring me back to Him as the answer to all my queries.

The Lord rewarded me with the most fulfilling 2 months of my life. Never have I been so involved in personal commitments other than school commitments in the past. More importantly, it was not out of obligation, but a personal choice that I was involved in all these. It was an exciting journey with the Lord as I discover His agenda for me in each commitment and grow at the same time. The key thing is to be passionate in the commitments and allow your heart to be open to the teachings of the Lord. I’m thankful that through these 2 months, the Lord has been able to use me to bless many people and as the blessings flow through me, I discover the joy of serving others with the love of the Lord.
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The end of these 2 months also signifies the beginning of the New Year ahead. I have grown much spiritually during the whole of this year and the Lord has challenged me to set an even higher standard for myself for 2007. As I step into the next phase of my life next year, I’m excited over the challenges ahead and I’m eager to receive what the Lord has prepared for me.
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I have always enjoyed sharing my reflections with others as I hope all who read about what the Lord has being doing in my life will be blessed as well. I’m looking forward to sharing more of my reflections in 2007 with this tribe family and I also hope to hear from the others what the Lord has been doing in their lives too.

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Jelvin Lee

Kenneth's Subtribe