Faith - Eternal Life Assembly

Shaped by God, Sustained by Grace: No longer “the girl with a chronic illness”, but God’s beloved daughter

Michelle Chiang — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

It began with increased thirst and urination, constant fatigue, and frequent cravings for sweet drinks. Then one day, I fell very ill, and my mother rushed me to the hospital. The doctor told her that I was in diabetic ketoacidosis – a life-threatening complication from Type 1 diabetes.

Had I gone to the hospital a day late, I would have died!

At eight years old, I did not understand what having Type 1 diabetes meant, nor expected needles, insulin, and medication to become my daily companions.

Besides pain, the injections also left scars on my abdomen and thighs, to the extent that my body was not absorbing the insulin well at one point, due to the build-up of scar tissue. The insulin pump would also malfunction because it could sense that it was unable to deliver insulin into my body.

While other children could freely enjoy ice cream, cakes, and sugary treats, I could only look at them longingly through the shop display windows.

There were activities such as swimming that I had to avoid too. School camp was out because my teachers did not allow it. I almost could not join the ultimate frisbee team because the teacher-in-charge was concerned about my condition.

Gradually, the burden of living with diabetes took over. Shame crept in as my lifestyle was different from my peers’. Fear of being seen as weak and fragile lowered my self-esteem. All the missed opportunities and the challenges my friends never had to think about made me resentful.

“The girl with a chronic illness” became an identity I gave myself.

As years passed, new worries emerged. Would I become a burden to my parents? Would anyone be willing to marry me? Could I have children, and would they inherit my condition? The future felt uncertain and discouraging, prompting countless cries to

God: “Why me?”

God did not answer my question.

In His time, He revealed His grace in the midst of my struggles.

Managing diabetes is something that cannot simply be put on hold. Any malfunctioning device or an unexpected change in blood sugar levels demands immediate attention. In those anxious moments, God gently reminded me to lift my eyes from my circumstances to Him.

One such occasion came during a school elective in India. The buttons on the insulin pump were stuck, and the pump could not work. That was my only pump for the trip, and the nearest help centre was at least two hours away. Panic set in.

My friends and my family in Singapore prayed for me fervently. God answered!

He gave my friends, who were trawling the Internet, the solution to fix the buttons. By His grace, I survived!

Even in everyday situations, God has reminded me of His care and of how real He is. There were times when only high-sugar or high-carbohydrate food was available. I would then have to administer more insulin to curb my blood sugars from spiking after meals. But there is no guarantee that my blood sugar would remain stable. Yet on many occasions, my readings had remained stable or risen only slightly. Medical science cannot fully explain this, but

truly, it is God’s gracious hand at work, even in the smallest details.

Experiences like these remind me that God is in control, even when life feels uncertain.

Over time, the condition I once resented became the very means through which

God taught me dependence

not on medication but on Him. Through every challenge, He has faithfully sustained me.

Spending time reading His Word, praying and growing in my relationship with Him led me to know who I am in Christ and to reconcile with my condition.

Yes, living with diabetes requires sacrifices, but they pale in comparison to Christ’s sacrifice for all who would believe in Him.

That truth has given me hope, purpose and strength to persevere.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

As God continued to shape my heart,

He showed me that my identity is not defined by my illness or my limitations. I am a deeply loved daughter of the Most High King.

Indeed, the fears I carried were largely unfounded. New friends did not see me as “The girl with a chronic illness”. They accepted me for who I am. The truth that my identity is firmly rooted in God’s love freed me from the insecurity that had held me captive.

It gave me a new purpose – to live for God’s glory and serve Him faithfully.

Today, I embrace life with gratitude. Rather than dwelling on what I cannot do, I choose to focus on what God has enabled me to do through His strength. His love has given me the confidence to move forward with hope.

Years ago, a pastor prayed over me,

“God is going to turn your infirmities into inspiration for people”.

At that time, I could not imagine how that would happen. Looking back, God’s hand is evident throughout my journey with Type 1 diabetes. More than a story of living with a chronic illness, it is a testimony of God’s sustaining grace, unwavering faithfulness, and overflowing love.

His grace is unending, His love is overflowing, His mercies are new every morning.

Reflections:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Bring your “Why?” to God. Trust that even when He does not answer your questions, His grace will sustain you.
Let God shape you. Allow Him to use your struggles to transform you.
Look for God’s faithfulness every day. Recognise and thank God for His constant presence and provision, even in life’s ordinary moments.

The post Shaped by God, Sustained by Grace: No longer “the girl with a chronic illness”, but God’s beloved daughter first appeared on Eternal Life Assembly.

When Faith Was Blurry – a 2,800 degree prayer

Philip Sng — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 03:55:00 +0000

The Early Years

At three years old, Naomi’s parents took her for an eye check-up and discovered that she was severely myopic as a toddler, with 1,500 degrees of short-sightedness in each eye!

Her parents then realised why she often avoided bright, moving images, and she would always walk away from these light sources. She also showed no interest in watching television.

From that time on, after the eye check-up, Naomi wore thick, heavy glasses that became a defining part of her early life.

Naomi’s childhood was different from other children’s. She dreaded the yearly eye check-ups, with the painful eye drops and intimidating bright lights.

At ten, when her classmates enjoyed swimming lessons, she could not join them because she was too young to wear contact lenses at the time.

During physical education lessons in school, she would avoid ball games and often ran far away from any ball, constantly fearing that the ball would shatter her thick glasses.

Academically, Naomi’s parents lowered their expectations, hoping she could pass every subject without further straining her eyes, including passing over the opportunity to study Higher Chinese.

At twelve years old, Naomi’s eye retina had become overly stretched, and she underwent freeze-treatment surgery to prevent tear and detachment, spending a month after her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) to recover from surgery.

Around that time, she learned about lens implant, a reversible procedure that could drastically improve vision. However, the high cost of the implant, at S$20,000, was far beyond her family’s means, and the idea was shelved indefinitely.

In Naomi’s growing-up years, she accepted that possessing blurred, imperfect vision was her reality.

She thanked God daily that she could still see and function, despite this eyesight limitation.

A Prayer

During a routine eye check-up in October 2022, Naomi’s doctor gave her the sobering news that her retina is weakening and she may lose her vision over time.

That day, Naomi was gripped with fear after receiving this sad piece of news. She chose to persevere in her faith in God and shared the doctor’s diagnosis with a few close friends. One of them, Si Qin, sent her this message:

“Just leave it to God. Pray for Him to restore and renew your retina, that He will give you a new pair of eyes when you wake up.”

Naomi thankfully responded with “Amen,” but silently wondered in her heart, “Is that even possible?”

The Decline

In the early part of 2024, Naomi’s vision began to worsen rapidly. She did not tell anyone. The prospect of losing her sight began to change everything for her.

Having experienced miraculous healings from God in the past, she believed God would heal her eyes. She prayed fervently, in her room, at the church altar, asking God to restore her sight so she could continue serving effectively in church ministry.

Instead of improving, her vision continued to deteriorate.

In June 2025, Naomi travelled alone to the United States for the first time. She could barely read the information signs at customs check counters and prayed her way through the process, leaning on God’s grace.

Two months later, she travelled to China on another work trip. Again, she could not see the information on customs check counters, but God provided a staff escort who accompanied her from the airport to the hotel.

During a meeting with a client in a brightly lit room, she was almost blinded by her eye floaters and blurred vision. Naomi was overwhelmed, physically and emotionally.

By September 2025, her eyes could no longer function normally. With much apprehension, she went to see her optometrist. After a lengthy thirty-minute check, she looked at Naomi tearfully and said,

“Your eye myopia is now 2,800 degrees. I can’t help you anymore. You need to consult your doctor immediately.”

Naomi broke down and cried.

Her optometrist said to her, “We will pray. Let’s believe in God’s miracle.”

Naomi’s doctor appointment was six days away. It was the longest six days of her life.

The fear of losing her vision completely terrified her, and every night, she was kept awake. She prayed fervently and sought out her close friends and churchmates to pray for her.

She prepared herself mentally and emotionally for the eventual outcome of the doctor’s visit.

The Turnaround

With bad news from her optometrist, Naomi was uncertain about what to expect from the doctor’s visit.

On the day of her medical appointment, her doctor said, “Miss Ng, you have mature eye cataracts and will require surgery as soon as possible to implant new lenses.”

Naomi was stunned. “Cataracts at thirty-eight years old?”

The doctor continued, “After surgery, you will be able to see clearly again—without glasses or contact lenses.”

She was unsure if she had heard the doctor correctly. “Did he say that she wasn’t going blind but she would be able to see clearly again?”

Naomi left the clinic overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. God has heard and answered her prayers, not in her timing, but in His.

God’s delay is not his denial. While she thought He was silent, He was preparing a healing experience beyond what she could fathom, not just to restore her eyesight, but to provide for the costs of the procedure completely.

What was considered out of reach when she was a child, is now covered under Medisave and company insurance.

When Naomi shared the good news with her close friend Si Qin, she reminded her of what she told her in 2022: “God will give you a new pair of eyes.”

Indeed, He did.

The Second Miracle

As part of pre-surgery checks, Naomi needed to undergo a retina scan, which revealed two blood clots. Due to early detection, these clots were treated in time. Indeed, God is all-knowing, abounding in His mercy and grace towards her.

Due to Naomi’s extremely high eye myopia and irregular retinal shape, her cataract surgery carried a higher risk.

Her doctor assured her, “Trust in His sovereignty. We live by faith, not by sight. Worrying is not of God—it’s a sin. Let’s pray.” These God-moments continually assured her of God’s abiding presence.

Naomi’s surgery was a success.

A New Vision

Today, every morning when Naomi opens her eyes, she can see her world vividly – sharper colours, clearer details. She no longer needed to depend on spectacle glasses or contact lenses. It is an experience that she has never savoured before.

To her, life has become cheerful and bright. Although she still needs to use reading glasses and can see floaters in her vision, she is deeply grateful to God for healing her blurred vision and giving her a new set of eyes to see His creation in all its beauty.

Naomi can now truly say: “I once was blind, but now I see.”

God has given her not just physical sight, but a new vision and zest for life.

Reflections:

What is an impossible 2,800 degree fear that stands before you today?

Impossibility vs Provision: : “God’s delay is not His denial” What does this mean for you today?
Faith in doubt: Faith isn’t the absence of doubt, but trusting God right in the middle of it.
A New Vision for Life: Do you need new eyes to see today what God sees for your life today? Ask Him to show you.

The post When Faith Was Blurry – a 2,800 degree prayer first appeared on Eternal Life Assembly.

When Love Waited for the Right Time

Michelle Chiang — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Love at first sight it was not.

Though Chris and Teresa were in the same circle of friends, they hardly interacted with each other, until an occasion when they spoke one-on-one.

Chris, single and seeking at that time, was attracted to Teresa. But when he asked her friends for her contact number, they declined his request.

Getting into another relationship was the last thing on my mind

“They were protecting me,” explained Teresa. At that time, she had just gone through a divorce. “I was still healing, still unsure. Getting into another relationship was the last thing on my mind,” she added.

Teresa’s first marriage had ended in heartbreak due to deep differences in beliefs and life direction. It was a decision wrapped in agony, self-doubt, and fear.

“I wondered if I had disappointed God, if I had failed,” she shared. “I couldn’t even tell my father. Divorce was a heavy word in my family.”

I experienced a love that reminded me of God’s – steadfast and redeeming.

However, God, in His mercy, softened hearts. When her family eventually learned of the situation, they responded not with condemnation, but with love.

“It was such a relief,” Teresa said through tears.

“They assured me that no matter what, they would stand by me and continue loving me. I experienced a love that reminded me of God’s – steadfast and redeeming.”

God’s redemptive love found me in my darkest moments

A year-long job assignment in Japan soon followed, a divine pause, as Teresa would come to see it. That season gave her the solitude and space to process, to grieve, and to heal.

“I had to confront the lies I believed about myself – that I was unworthy, that I was broken beyond repair,” she recounted.

“But as I meditated on God’s words and received the prayers and care of my friends in Eternal Life (EL) Assembly in Singapore, healing began. God’s redemptive love found me in my darkest moments,” she said.

Meanwhile, Chris – though his romantic interest had been gently rebuffed, remained a quiet, consistent presence.

At times, almost supernaturally, he would call just when Teresa needed someone.

“One time, she was in a supermarket struggling to communicate with the staff. I somehow sensed that she needed help, so I called her. As I could speak some Japanese, I interpreted for her,” Chris recalled fondly.

“I can’t explain why I seemed to have that telepathy with Teresa. Was it fate? Or was it a prompt from God? ” he mused.

When Teresa was back in Singapore, Chris continued pursuing her, but with little success because Teresa was often busy with church activities.

Chris was not attending church regularly then.

“I felt unworthy to be in God’s presence,” he admitted. “Although I longed to know Him more, I wasn’t sure if I was living fully according to His will and deserving of His love.”

Still, he was drawn to Teresa’s commitment to her faith. So one day, when Teresa invited him to attend a service at EL, he readily agreed.

That turned out to be a divine appointment. The warmth and faith of the Filipino congregation wrapped around him like family.

I felt welcome. I felt at home. Through the church, and through Teresa, I found my way back to God

“I felt welcome. I felt at home. Through the church, and through Teresa, I found my way back to God,” Chris said.

He had explored other churches, but in the end, EL became his spiritual home.

As their relationship progressed, Teresa, still cautious and healing, suggested a cooling-off period for each of them to seek God’s direction.

“I needed to know that my healing was complete, that I wasn’t rushing ahead of God.

“I remembered what Pastor Bob, Senior Pastor of EL, once told me: ‘Heal first, and when the time comes, the love of the Lord in your heart will melt away all the pain.’

And that’s exactly what happened – God had healed me. So I entrusted my journey ahead to Him.”

Heal first, and when the time comes, the love of the Lord in your heart will melt away all the pain.

As for Chris, Teresa was more than someone he loved; she was his turning point.

“She’s my guardian angel,” he said. “She reconnected me with Jesus and helped me grow in my faith.

I realised that God’s love is unconditional. Even though I had been distant, he did not forget me, but led me back to him.

I learnt to place my trust fully in God, seek Him first, and surrender every aspect of my life to Him.”

I realised that God’s love is unconditional. Even though I had been distant, he did not forget me, but led me back to him.

This God-centred love between Chris and Teresa is a firm foundation for their enduring relationship.

The couple married in 2017 and now have a 6-year-old daughter, Cassy.

Life is never a bed of roses. Yet no matter the circumstances, this couple place their faith and trust in God.

In response to God’s redemptive love, Chris and Teresa dedicated their lives and marriage to God and got baptised together in March 2025.

This story of Chris and Teresa is not just about second chances in love, but about the God who restores, rebuilds, and redeems.

Their story is a testament that even in our most broken moments, God is at work, weaving beauty from ashes.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

The post When Love Waited for the Right Time first appeared on Eternal Life Assembly.