A huge blessing and resource we have at GOC are our staffers who are older, mature, godly, Christians who help lead and counsel our fellowship. I remember as a freshman I was intimidated to talk to them and had no idea what I would say if I did so I chose to admire them from afar instead of actively learning from their lives and the different experiences they can share. To help bridge this gap, it is my pleasure to introduce one of our women staffers, Grace Yang, who I met two summers ago on an STM to Albania. I have personally learned and benefited so much from our friendship. Below is an interview with her, I tried to make it brief but everything was so wise! If you see her around on Friday’s ask more questions-she would love to get to know you!
R: To start off, give us a short testimony and a little bit of background about yourself.
G: I was born into a Christian family so I grew up knowing the Gospel, I don’t think I ever doubted God’s existence and I knew the basic facts about the Gospel and went to a Chirstian school, but it wasn’t until 4th grade, this one Thursdsay we went to Chapel and there was this puppet show and suddenly it clicked in my head and I was convicted for the first time that I personally offended God. So that night I prayed to accept Christ.
R: Having discipled and counseled girls for years now, what are some recurring struggles that girls bring up and what advice do you give?
G: One is always making big decisions that will affect your future, grad school, work, biblical womanhood. For example: wanting to be a doctor and mom and asking, “Can I do both?” College students want black and white answers, and yes and no, instead of grey, but it’s different for everyone and there’s no one answer. At the end of the day, the big picture is to obey God. Today. And if your decision is the best way you can steward what God has given you and is not an idol, pursue it. But if one day God changes your priorities then are you willing to give it up? If it’s an idol now then it’ll be an idol later. For some women grad school is the best thing to do, and for others not going is the best. It depends, it’s a heart motive issue.
R: As undergrads we always wonder how we will transition after college, can you describe your experience?
G: Transitioning after GOC was really hard because in GOC there are a lot of people who think similarly: a high value of the word and education with generally similar family/cultural/social backgrounds. When I left GOC and went to Foundry, I struggled with loving people even in just a different fellowship group. Most people were very different as a single’s, working group. A lot of people who attended just recently became saved, so even thought they were older and around my age they were at a different stage and pursuing very different things. How do you love them, care for their soul, be cared for, when the only thing in common is your love for Christ? I thought it wouldn’t be that hard, but it was, for about half a year. Very humbled by my own sin, and that’s when I learned that we’re both bought with the same price as sisters and brothers in Christ. And I’m not any better or worse than this other person. It was learning how to be like Christ: He’s the ultimate example of being perfect and yet loving us: the complete opposite.
R: Right now you are teaching math at an inner-city high school, how do you actively live out your faith at work?
G: I love my job because I teach at an urban high school and I didn’t think I’d be there after my first year. Now I’m in my 7th year working with underprivileged high schoolers and you see so much sin. It’s not that I’m any better, but what they’re involved in is so much more obvious: sex, drugs, everything. There are not many Christians in my workplace, but my prayer everyday is that I’l be a light to my students and that I love them, and genuinely care for them because Christ loves me. I can’t just share the Gospel in the middle of the class but I show them this by disciplining them and being strict but gentle. I’m not their parent but I can have those conversations of getting to the heart of the issue. I try to have conversations of “Why did you do that, what motivated you?” Getting them to think and showing them that it came out of a heart that was angry, and anger is wrong. A lot of times if these conversations happen after school and sometimes I will share. In my mind if they ask, I’ll always share if that’s where it leads. Sometimes they are frustrated at what they do and I’ll share my experiences with anger. And I ask them to ask for forgiveness from each other and from me. They’ve never heard that before and I have to share with them how to ask for forgiveness. When they ask, I always say” of course” and smile and ask, “What does forgiveness mean?”
It means: I’m not going to bring it up again, I’m not going to talk about it to other people, and tomorrow when you come back to period 3, I’m going to treat you like nothing happened today because it’s forgiven. And those conversations can lead to the Gospel because we’ve been forgiven by Christ on the Cross.
R: We haven’t talked much about relationships on our blog before, but what can you tell us about being single and advice in being content and faithful?
G: It’s a constant work in progess, but the biggest lessons I’ve learned are: One, fully believe that God loves me, I think if I really believe that every second of the day I won’t be bitter or resentful when my friends get married and have kids. He is perfectly sovereign, so it’s not like I’m missing out: this is the best for today. This helps me confidently trust in Him. Secondly, have open hands. You can have desires that God gives you but hold them in open hands in surrender and in submission to Him. If I hold it with a closed fist then it’s an idol as if it’s my way or I’m going to be angry. And lastly, rejoice with my friends when they rejoice. When my friends get married then I rejoice, I’m commanded to. And to be okay when my relationships change, like my best friend and I don’t talk everyday and she goes to her husband first and that’s how it should be. Understanding different phases of life.
Partially why I came back to GOC, is to be a good steward of my singleness. You have less distractions and I can be more focused on ministry and do things for the glory of God with the time He’s given me. On the otherhand, I am still a woman and I still have a heart for the home and still being a steward of that, not just throwing that aside. I still have to cook, clean, and have people over and practice hospitality or even welcoming people at GOC on Fridays. I can still be a single woman that way. One example is I have my own recipe book on things I’ve tried and like and don’t have to start from zero later. Also, don’t say yes to everything just because you’re single, right now my roommate is like my family and sometimes I need to be at home.
R: To wrap things up, what is one last piece of advice that has been so helpful to you?
G: Learn to commune with the Lord. There are a lot of Christians who don’t know what that looks like or feels like. I’m still learning, but it takes discipline to slow down in your day and have a real quiet time with the Lord and really talk to Him and live in His presence. If you are living in His presence there’s much less of a chance to sin, yell, think impure thoughts, etc. If we need to be taking time to be in the Word and worship Him. Read “How to worship Jesus Christ”. Don’t leave GOC with a list of do’s and don’ts, a modified behavior, and no heart change. Form biblical convictions and worship Christ more when you leave than when you first came.