Friend-Lover
[ Sunday Testimony Sharing ]
[Zechariah Lim & Shally Chua]
Zechariah
Good Morning Church. I am Zechariah and this is my best friend, my wife Shally. We are the Zone Supervisor of Zone EG. We have two beautiful children, Matthew and Melisse. This year is a very meaningful year for me and my family as we enter into our 10th Anniversary. We would like to share about the amazing Grace of God in our marriage and family. GCC is the place we began our love journey.
Both of us are teachers in a local Secondary School and also serving in the same department but in separate offices. In the first 6 months, I didn’t know Shally, therefore we never talked. During that time I was active in the Cell Groups as well as school works. It was because of the many school projects together that we became good friends. With that we began our mutual understanding and trust toward one another. Shally came from another Church but we were able to have a common topic to talk about, that was life in a cell group. I began to feel a different beat in my heart toward her and I wondered “Is she the right person to run our marathon of life together?How to send the right love signal to her? Or maybe I’m thinking too much.”
I was still single when I joined GCC. Ps. Richard would often advise me to pray for my future spouse. He sharpened my mind in the things of God and reminded me not to lose sight of God’s purpose in a marriage. I remembered he said this, “I believe God will bring someone special to you at the right time when you pray and seek first His Kingdom. If God reveals that person to you, do invite her to GCC and let us have a look at her, get to know her and be a friend to her.”I replied, “Pastor, I have opened my eyes big enough but so far I see nothing yet!” It was through his positive influence that I began to seek God deeper in the area of relationship. Pastor Richard and Aunty Mimi were our Pre-Marital Counselors.
Shally
During our courtship, we grew even healthier and stronger in the cell group life and commitment. We even dated together with our cell members. Yes, you hear us correctly. We decided not to compromise our priorities in building the House of God; to continually care for the life, growth and adding godly values into the life of every cell member. Even though we did not have a lot of private time together yet joy overflowed and our cell group became our blessing on our wedding day and has been over the last 10 years.
Zechariah
Thank you Senior Pastor, Dr. William Vun for your words on our wedding day in 2005. The words still ring in our ears today. Your teaching on winning relationship more than winning argument not only became our principle in family building but also impact many other couples who seek us for help and listened to our sharing. Even though there are times we argued and were impatient with one another, we would quickly resolve our problems through biblical and practical principles we received from the pulpit. Pastor, your wisdom in raising sons of the House and godly generation is our vision as we raise Matthew and Melisse. You and Aunty Lorna had modeled godly parenting to us. The love, care and support by many leaders and the cell group makes us determined to continue our ministry in the cell group as the Cell Leaders, in ushering, Communion Ministry, Prison Ministry even after we are married.
Shally
We had our first child in year 2008 and this was the beginning of challenge in our marriage. Throughout the last six years, our married life was a mixture of sweetness and bitterness. Each Sunday is the most hectic day of our week, like being in a war. We struggled through from home to church. Anything can happen when a baby is in the car. There were countless times we came to church only to realize that we had milk powder without milk bottle. There were times, no warm water, no pacifier or pampers and so on. Matthew would cry aloud when he was sick and we would have to rush home immediately after the Service to bath and put him to sleep.
The teachers in the Children Church had been there for us as we go through the toughest time in our lives. They also shared their experiences and comforted me, assuring me that everything will be fine. Two years later, we had our second child, Melisse. We have to repeat the whole process but we are more ready as parents then. When I need to push two strollers at the same time for both our young children, the Children Church team helped us. They embraced our children as theirs.
Zechariah
Ps. Andrew and sister Liza came in just in time while we were trying to balance ministry and family. They understood our situation and knew our struggle as a young married couple. His wisdom in building his family, church and business were able to penetrate into our emotions and spiritual dark clouds. They had prayed and stood in the gap for us during those times we lost our balance in life.
Finally, we would like to thank all the pastors, leaders and cell members who have touched our lives and making us who we are today. You have cared and loved us when we were weak and helped us to grow stronger in every area of our lives in spite of day to day challenges. We as a family have decided to live a life like Joshua in the Bible, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
All glory to God!