Delivered From Self-Harm And Excelling In School
When I was growing up, I was physically abused and bullied. I would often get into fights and look for ways to skip school. In primary school, I felt lost in life and began to feel suicidal. I was also failing badly in school and was at risk of not passing my PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examinations). I was later diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and depression. Things worsened when I found out the reason I had never met my dad was because my parents had divorced before I was born. I realised I had never experienced a complete and loving family.
One day, my older sister came and introduced me to Christianity. I couldn’t help but wonder: how could there be a God who loved me, and what was so good about Him? But with my sister’s support, I managed to get promoted to secondary school. Nonetheless, I still struggled with friendships and often felt unloved. Soon, I slipped back into harming myself.
Then, a friend stepped in to help me. She invited me to ZONE X and the Mid-Autumn Celebrations at New Creation Church. Through these experiences, I became curious about God. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to learn more, so I attended DARE, the youth group for secondary school students, and was attached to a DARE group. The people around me were so friendly, and I didn’t understand why. I kept coming for services and whenever I felt unsure, my leader would assure me I was doing fine.
I started praying during services and paying attention to God’s Word. One day during worship, I raised my hand as a sign of surrender and prayed quietly under my breath, with tears rolling down my face. At that moment, I heard: “You are loved.” That was the first time I encountered God’s presence, and from then on, I began reading His Word. Whenever I was at my lowest, I reminded myself that God loves me and that He sent Jesus Christ to die for my sins.
By the end of Secondary 1, I was accepted into the student council. I also started playing volleyball, joined external competitions, and even placed second runner-up in one. I also received multiple academic and character awards, and eventually became vice-president of the executive committee. By Secondary 3, I was even scoring distinctions in my subjects!
Along the way, I also got to share God’s Word with my friends and invite them to church so they too can know this loving God. I just want to thank God, my family, and my friends. All glory to Jesus!
