CityLife Church Melbourne Australia

Through it all by Hillsong Worship, has been a significant song for me - it was as an anchor in my personal life, as well as for this season (in fact, any season).

My family and I migrated to Melbourne in 2005. I 'landed' first in March as the 'beach head' to establish 2 main 'posts':

To find a job

To find a place to rent or to buy - At that time we had sold everything, and my entire family (my wife, two primary school daughters and an elderly mother) was due to arrive in 3 months later.

Prior to this, I had tried to apply for three internal job transfers but had not been successful. I had no options but to resign, and arrived in Melbourne with no confirmed job. And without a job, it would be more difficult to find accommodation for the family, plus the family was due to arrive come-what-may.

As a new migrant with no local Australian experience, it was certainly not easy to apply for jobs, or even to get interview opportunities.

An ex-colleague of mine passed my Australian mobile contact around. One day I received a call from a manager in my previous company, asking me to come in for 'a chat'. The chat led to a second meeting which turned out to be a formal interview, and I was offered a contract job there and then! That job offer came approximately 6 weeks from the time of my first arrival in Melbourne. From that offer, I knew how much I was going to earn, where I was going to work etc. hence I was then able to make follow-on decisions such as whether we could afford to purchase a property, where to live, where to send the girls to school etc.

The first thing I did when I arrived back in my rented room after the job offer was to take up my guitar and sang the song 'You are forever in my life (Through It All)' to express my sincere gratitude and thanks to God for his unceasing faithfulness and favour. I remembered how tears just streamed down my cheeks as I spent extended time in worship and praise to our awesome God.

Indeed He is forever in our lives ... He sees us through the seasons ... He covers us in His unfailing love ... and in difficult and uncertain times, we learn to wait patiently for God to carry us through ... we lift up our eyes and look to Him for answers and strength ...

I was particularly moved by the chorus of the song, and the repeated singing of 'hallelujah' in praise to God

I'll sing to You, Lord, a hymn of love
For Your Faithfulness to me
And I'm carried in everlasting arms
You'll never let me go through it all
You'll never let me go, oh you'll never let me

We'll sing, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Three weeks after the job offer, I managed to find the property and prep up the property so that the whole family could comfortably move in upon their arrival in Melbourne in the middle of winter in June.

I hope this 'hymn of love' would serve as an encouragement and reminder to all of us in this uncertain and trying time. All glory, honour, praise and thanks be to God.

Posted in August 2020

A Hymn of Love