Faith Story by Marianne Lee
In the second half of 2021, my husband and I (fiancé back then) had transitions at our workplaces. In June, his employer announced company restructuring to relocate the office to Miri. Our concerns were many. Firstly, job security. Secondly, if he gets the job, the possibility of him moving to Miri was high, forcing us to be in a long-distance relationship (LDR).
Despite the uncertainties, we continued to pray for the situation and that God would provide a solution. When the restructuring was finalized, we were full of joy to know that my husband secured a role in the company. Furthermore, he had a new assignment. A 3-weeks work and 3-weeks off rotation meant that he could remain in KK during his days off!
A few months later, I was offered the opportunity to pursue masters in a specialty training programme. It required a West Malaysia relocation, which meant we would have to have a LDR if I accepted the offer.
At the same time of receiving this news, we were planning for our wedding. We are not from Sabah, so our family members would have to travel to attend our wedding. Then, the requirement of 10 days quarantine upon entering Sabah was still in place. This added challenge potentially interrupted our plans greatly. We are both the first child to be married in our families, so we desired them to witness our wedding.
We spent time in prayer, ready to accept whatever God’s plans were. We submitted our petitions and requests to Him, knowing that He understands the desires of our hearts to stay in KK and that He wants the best for us. Our Connect Groups and pastors also partnered with us in prayer.
I felt convicted and at peace to proceed with an appeal to stay in KK for my placement. Based on past experiences by other applicants, the likelihood of a successful appeal is low. BUT God reassured me that everything would be taken care of. NOTHING is TOO BIG or impossible for Him; He is OUR GOD. Everything is under His control, so all we had to do was to put our trust in Him, COMPLETELY.
As the day to ‘relocate’ drew closer, there were no updates on my appeal. I thought about the ‘what ifs’ and worst case scenarios that could possibly happen. As I started to doubt, God reminded me of His faithfulness, how HE has brought me through all these years, that HE is my Rock and Refuge, the ONE I can count on, as HE is our Daddy God!
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’. – Jeremiah 29:11.
Two weeks before the commencement of the training program, I received an email from the board congratulating me on the success of my appeal. A miracle! Praise the Lord!
At the same time, the government announced that wedding and receptions were allowed with Phase 4 SOPs. Our parents, families, and close friends were able to enter Sabah without quarantine!
We are also thankful to God for the wedding and related preparations: from the Registration of Marriage (rescheduled twice because the Registration Office was closed for Covid-19 sanitisation), to the good weather on the wedding day, and the privilege of having our family and friends to celebrate with us.
Through it all, we thank God for His love, goodness, grace and His favour, and for being so real to us. We are also so grateful for family and friends from Skyline who have prayed and journeyed alongside! They are truly a blessing to us.
To God be His Glory!
Marianne Lee