Steve Wong “I Like Giving: Faith Story” 11-03-2019

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish”

When I was asked to share my story about giving, it made me stop for a moment and think about why it is that I am so willing to give up my time and resources for God. One would think that it would be an easy and obvious question to answer, but I struggled mightily to come up with the words to explain it to even myself. So I started thinking about the times I spent around the church. I started thinking back to the summer when we did nine Sundays of robotics –  sitting in the sanctuary listening to the sermon – taking the children through a Bible story in Sunday School – having fellowship with folks before and after service. And then it dawned on me. I’m willing to give because giving is one way that I can give thanks to God for all he has done. 

And what has he done? He has provided our family with a home church in PUMC. We feel blessed to have the music ministry. Both of our children are singing or have sung in the choir. PUMC has provided a Sunday School to our children that has taught them essential Christian-based lessons. Volunteering as a Sunday School teacher has dramatically expanded and deepened my understanding of Christianity – which is significant for me since I grew up with non-Christian parents and never learned about God or attended a church service until well into adulthood. My son William had the opportunity to act as a lay-reader and serve communion during service. My daughter Elizabeth got to be a part of the children’s performances. Listening to the sermons reinforced my faith and helped equip me to better deal with life’s challenges, including some significant problems at my day job. 

I remember finding myself in a position within my career where I had hit the ceiling, and the only way to continue growing was to take drastic steps to improve my situation. Retraining can be a terrifying thing fraught with risks. It was just when we started attending PUMC, and I needed God more than ever to help me through it. Through His grace and guidance, I’m in a much better place now. I would be remiss not to mention that PUMC has connected us with a community of faithful believers who are not only welcoming and care for each other but also visibly serve God and the community in creative ways. You are all a constant source of encouragement and inspiration to our family. 

I am happy to give back to God in appreciation for all his blessings to us.  I am profoundly grateful to Him for bringing us to this church and walking with us through good times and bad. I am also thankful for being able to share this story with you.