Knowing the True God is the Beginning of my Human Life, E. C.

I was born and raised in Taiwan. My father is an educator who is an atheist. My mother worshipped idols fervently. I went with my mother to all kinds of temples secretly to consult gods and to receive “life readings”. We looked to the idols in all things, from my father's faithfulness in marriage to the health of all the children. This had a great effect on me. As I was growing up, I called on the idols' names in hardships and difficulties. I didn't know why I was calling on their names; I only knew that once our requests were answered, no matter how minuscule they were, we had to pay monetary tributes to the temple. There was no peace and joy in my heart. I looked at life as a drama in which I was to play the roles of a son, a husband, a father, and eventually a corpse. This was all there was in life. There was no hope or expectations.

I thank the Lord that I believed and was baptized into Him in 1997. Since that day God's life has been growing in me. The Lord's shining through His Word in my morning time with Him changed everything. My life didn't become all sunny and smooth after I received the Lord, but I had peace and joy in my living. I received revelations and trials from the Lord with thankfulness. As I said in one testimony, the first forty years of my life seemed to be in vain. My life has a new beginning now because I came to know this true and living God. He not only washed away my sins, but also became the life-giving Spirit to live in me that I can enjoy His presence and life dispensing moment by moment to express His image. I daily live in peace and joy. He also brings me hope. On one hand, I regretted knowing Him so late in my life; but on the other hand, I need to run the race toward the goal for the prize that He has set before me.