My Baptism Story: Made New in Him

Lee Hui Ling tells us her baptism story and what this step of faith meant to her.

Before I received Jesus into my heart in 2019, I spent my life looking for love and approval from people, yet that never filled the emptiness in my heart. One day, I listened to Cornerstone’s instrumental album, “Selah”, from a friend’s playlist, and something stirred within me. When I came to church, I felt so at home that I decided to give my “yes” to Jesus.

However, things took a turn a few months into this new journey. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and I started to draw further from God. Eventually, I also found myself in an unhealthy relationship.

The sense of shame and being trapped became overwhelming, and it felt like I was far from who I used to be. I decided to take time away overseas to recalibrate and reflect, and it brought me to realise that all I had left was God. In my desperation, I began to seek Him with all my heart.

In the process of rebuilding my faith, I signed up for baptism, even though I still struggled with my identity and worth. In fact, I told myself that I would go for all the classes and miss out on the actual baptism because I feared what my pre-believing family would make of my decision. But as I continued my journey and attended the classes, something changed.

During one of the classes, I thought to myself, “God, what would life be like if I had known You earlier, and held You tighter?” He said, “My delay was for a purpose.” And at that moment, I was reminded of the difference my Cell community has made to my walk with God and my life, bringing me through both joyous and difficult times. I was reassured that even in my brokenness, God has His plans for me and for others.

Initially, there was some resistance when I mustered the courage to invite my mum to my baptism. She even stopped speaking to me for a week. But through much prayer and walking alongside my loving Cell community, her heart softened, and my parents came to witness my baptism! Today, I know that God is my Saviour, my Father, and my first love, and I choose Him over earthly validation. I declare that I’m made new in Him, and I am a beloved child of God!