In 1997, I was in the middle of my doctoral studies in Australia on a government scholarship when the Southeast Asian financial crisis happened. It was a time of chaos and turmoil, with widespread job losses, businesses closing and governments struggling to stay afloat. 

I watched in dismay as Indonesian and Thai friends were forced to return home due to the sudden lack of funds. Malaysian students weren’t immediately recalled, but eventually my scholarship was terminated and the university asked me to leave.

Despite knowing that the crisis was outside anyone’s control, I couldn’t accept returning home without a degree. With no financial support, I turned to prayer, believing in God to make a way and clinging onto Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” 

As I waited, a miracle happened. The Prime Minister of Malaysia took an unprecedented step to peg the Ringgit to the US dollar, bringing some stability to the country. Then, a high-ranking university official ordered my study to resume and my scholarship continued.

To me, this was a powerful reminder that God does not forsake those who earnestly seek His help, even in the most impossible situations. I came back to Sarawak in 2000 and since then have been lecturing in a local university.

This Christmas season, I’m reminded of Joseph and the heavily pregnant Mary searching for a place to rest and finding none (Luke 2:5-7). The Bible doesn’t tell us how long they searched or how many rejections they received until they finally found a place.

God’s provision came at the right time, and the period of waiting on Him stretched my faith and taught me to put my trust and reliance on Him. Now, my prayer is that God will give me opportunities to extend His grace to others in their times of need too.