A few months ago I tried to volunteer to be a greeter at church and help with the high school youth group, especially for the teen girls. Disappointingly, there was no response. But last Sunday morning, as I accidentally joined a life group, I was asked by the leader in charge of the greeters if I would be interested to volunteer for this position. The next day I was asked by the youth group director if I would like to volunteer for DNow. It was very disappointing at first when man said no. But when God says yes, at His timing, everything will be done smoothly and perfectly according to His will.

DNow stands for Disciple Now. This is a weekend-long series of events where high school students get to go to church, study the Bible, worship, and have a big slumber party at the end at houses sponsored by adults at the church. The kids are divided into groups; each group is led by a 20-something leader of the same gender. For me it was an honor to be asked by the church to volunteer. It was a privilege to be asked by God to give back what I have received. When I was 15, I packed my bag, hopped on the plane, crossed the ocean, left everyone and everything behind, and arrived in Saint Louis MO. Here I was required to go to church with the family I was living with. I did it out of obedience and by force. But I remember one day one of the girls in my AP Chemistry class in my sophomore year asked me to join the event at her church. They had a big Valentine’s Day celebration for the youth group. Out of curiosity and the desire to have fun, I accepted the invitation. The event was very similar to DNow. I will never forget the feeling I had on that day. It started with a Bible study, and of course I got lost immediately. I was thinking to myself: What on earth are they talking about? How can they find those sayings (verses) that fast? And what is this big book every kid is carrying with them (this was before the time of Bible app on smartphones)? But the most surprising part was when I actually felt like I fit in. People cared; they talked to me. I was treated as a person, not an object to pour the Bible on, not a case to convert. They asked about my background, my culture, my American experience thus far, my hopes, and my dreams. They wanted to get to know me, and they welcomed me for who I am. They accepted me when I was a stranger to their family. That’s something unusual we don’t see nowadays, even at churches. But the youth group at that small church in Saint Louis has treated me with the love of Christ, something I have never experienced before growing up in Vietnam. They made me feel so welcomed and loved that I didn’t want to leave. Now thinking back I just realized that event at the youth group was my first time meeting Jesus. When I went to church, I heard of Jesus and I didn’t understand what I was hearing. But when I was welcomed to that family among the high school students my age, I met Jesus for the first time through the love of His disciples. I believe that God already knew me before I knew Him, but that night was the first time I felt His presence. For me that was the first time we met. We didn’t make it official and start our relationship till a couple years later, however, so I guess God and I, we took it slow!

Another thing that got my attention was the way the host treated his wife. The way he loved her tenderly and took care of her needs blew my mind away. At that time I thought it was an American thing. Well now I realize it wasn’t; it was a Christian thing! When we truly walk with God, we just can’t help but showing it to the world. When we are so loved by God and when the relationship we have with Him is so strong, we just can’t help it but spread that love around like crazy to everyone we come in contact with. That event with the youth group made such a big impact on my life that I will never forget. And until this day I still remember the joy and peace I felt that night as I first experienced the love of God through His children. It planted the seed in my heart so that years later, when the condition was right, God watered the seed and made it grow. I will always be thankful for that girl in my AP Chemistry class who invited me. She took the action of faith to invite a stranger, a pagan into her loving family of Christ. We lost contact so I can’t tell her how much I appreciate what she has done for me. But if you are reading this article, I hope that you will be encouraged to invite somebody to your church events, especially non-believers. And please don’t judge when somebody comes to Bible study not knowing where to find the verses in the Bible or if they don’t even have a Bible. Teach them, love them, and welcome them to the family. Bring them to the party! As I’m thinking about volunteering for DNow in a couple months, I wonder if there will be another Mimi coming to the event to check it out, to have fun, to see what these Christian kids are like. And who knows what can happen? Maybe at the event she will also feel God’s presence and Christ’s love through the people around her. And maybe further down the road, this little Mimi will one day accept Jesus in her heart and give her life to Him, all because the little seed is planted at the youth group event.

Last Tuesday I had a rough day at work. It wasn’t dramatically bad but definitely not a great moment of my life. As I stumbled into my Bible study, I felt sad and angry; I didn’t connect at all with anyone. I was talking with the people around me, but it felt more socializing than fellowship. But of course little did I know, God already had the whole thing planned out to change my mood. At the end of Bible study, I had an opportunity to walk out with one of the girls who was struggling with her situation at work. I truly believe this was a divine moment from God. As we were talking, I was able to share with her the knowledge I have gained through my walk with God. My day started bad at work but God used the Holy Spirit through me to bless somebody else that night, to encourage her on her walk with Him, and to teach her the right way to fight the battle. Because of that short conversation at the end of the night, it doesn’t matter how bad my day was. That one moment working for God is more valuable and fulfilling than countless hours in the office. So I would say I had a pretty good Tuesday then. That one moment serving God is better than all of the hours mistreated by man.

This is the cycle of battles that I have recognized from these two small incidents and from what I have been blessed with throughout my walk with God. As trials come into our lives, our first initial, natural response was complaint, anxiety, and fear. But I think we’re wrong. If trials come to test our faith, strengthen our relationship with God, and bring us to the next level of intimacy with Him, then we should feel pretty good facing trials in our lives. I mean what a honor that the most High God decides to use me to fight the battle in the heavenly realm against Satan and draw me closer to Him. This is exciting! So instead of facing trials with negativity, I propose a new solution: let’s face trials with excitement and heavenly joy. If we fight with God, we already know that victory belongs to our side, so why should we worry and complaint about this? We shouldn’t. Let’s have fun facing trials to show Satan one more time the kind of God that we serve. It’s a great honor to be on His team. He doesn’t need us to fight the battle for Him. God is strong enough to defeat His enemy. But He delights in using us to fight the battle with Him because He knows that trials will bring us closer to Him and make us stronger at the end as long as we preserve. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1: 2-4). So as we face trials, we pray to God, we asked Him for help, and we joyfully fight the battle with Him. The result is guaranteed as long as we don’t give up on God; that’s the power when we fall on our knees. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Sometimes God will deliver somebody into our lives to help us fight the battle, so it’s a team effort here, a big group event. And of course a celebration party at the end when Satan is defeated. But the story doesn’t end here. God will use the experience we have gone through and the knowledge we have gained to bless and help somebody else. I certainly hope that He will use me to bless another high school kid at DNow in a couple months. That would be my honor to serve God to give back what I have been given freely and lovingly.