Laki for her she found Jesus

Joseph Smith | 28 May 2007

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My name is Lakshini Weddikkara [though my friends call me Laki – pronounced ‘lucky’] and I’m 31 years old. I am of Sri Lankan heritage and I grew up in Perth, where my family still lives. I have been living in Sydney for 11 years. I’m a television producer, currently working for Nickelodeon [kids’ channel on Foxtel]. I have been at Church by the Bridge (CBTB) for just under two years.

My parents are very strong Christians and I was brought up in a Christian home – it was a loving, nurturing and safe home. We went to a great church [St Michael’s Anglican, Mount Pleasant] where I was an active member of the youth group. I loved going to church, being involved and serving God. To my family and friends I was a strong Christian. I thought I was too.

When I was 18, things changed. I was violently attacked and raped by a boy I was on a date with. I was so angry that God could let this happen to me – where was he? Why was he letting this happen to me? How could he? I hid what happened to me from my family and tried to keep it from my friends too. I was ashamed, hurt and very angry.

At the time I was working at Channel Ten in Perth and loved being a part of the television industry – I wanted to pursue this career. A few months after the attack, I applied for a transfer. Three weeks later I moved to Sydney and away from what had happened to me – and away from Christ. I very quickly became swept up in the industry life – sex, drugs and rock’ n’ roll. I went down a very dark path and I didn’t care. I was growing very successful in my career, partying with the ‘important’ people and living it up. I had no-one to be accountable to. I only shared the parts of my life with my family and friends in Perth that I wanted them to know about.

Eventually I tired of that very fake lifestyle and I tried to re-connect with my faith, which had been seemingly so strong once. I went to St Thomas’ church a few times and did the Christianity Explored and Explained courses. I still hadn’t made a full commitment to Christ though – I was still angry.

Then I hit a low in my life. A boy I was dating broke my heart, my car was broken into and to top it all off my contract at work had finished and I didn’t have a job lined up. I’d had enough. I was broken and tired of running away, but I didn’t know what to do. I was on the phone to a non-Christian friend who said “Laki, perhaps this is God’s way of telling you to make a real commitment to him and to go back to church”. I just happened to be standing outside Church by the Bridge at the time.

The next day was a Sunday and so I went to CBTB. I said to myself that I would sit front and centre and if no-one spoke to me I would never go back, but I had to try and make an effort. I had barely sat down when a lady came up to me and asked my name and if I was new. She then brought over two girls – Cynch Ong and Lisa Langman – who sat either side of me, spoke to me and then at the end of the service invited me to the café where CBTB used to have their suppers. I said I would go only if they would promise not to leave my side. They promised. In fact, later that week they invited me out to brunch with about ten other ladies from the church. I was overwhelmed by this love and care.

I have been going to CBTB ever since. I joined a “BFG” (Bible fellowship group) and it was here that I truly was able to call Christ my Lord and Saviour.

God’s love and grace is so much more than I can imagine. After almost 10 years of actively fighting my faith, I was humbled when Paul Dale, our minister, told me that God had never left my side and he wasn’t angry at me and that I was forgiven. Paul also helped me to look at the reasons why I had turned my back on God in the first place, and I was able to realise that it wasn’t God’s fault, it wasn’t my fault. In hindsight I can see clearly that I was never alone and that whilst my back may have been turned, God’s never was.

I changed everything about myself – the clothes I wore, the friends I had, the types of job I would take, the way I spoke and the way I acted. I used to be the most selfish person I know – now I lead the CBTB outreach ministry, last year I was a part of a mission team that went to China, I sing in the CBTB band and am an active member of the church and the community. I am also on the Board of Directors for the Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre. I am in a relationship with a wonderful Christian man who I feel is a gift to me from God. I have been blessed in many ways and far more than I deserve God loves me and wants me to be in relationship with him. Me! Sometimes I simply marvel at the way God changed me and the way he uses me now. My life has been changed forever.

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