11. The truly regrettable prayer
12. Fireworks
13. The middle aged woman that I met at the public bath
14. There is a plan God has for you
15. The Lordâs education through a dream
11. THE TRULY REGRETTABLE PRAYER
I used to pray in the M church in front of my college between classes while I was in school. The church chapel was always opened and on the wall, only dim light was on which made me feel like I was praying in the cozy attic with lit candle. I was happy in the feeling that I was talking to God one-on-one without hearing any noise of the hustle and bustle of the world while I was sitting in there. I was the only one who was praying in there most of the time since there’s not many people dropped by.
One lunch hour, I went there and saw the male student was praying on his knees in tears right next to the Altar. I was carried away by the sight at the moment cause it looked so gracious. “Wow~I wish I knew there’s a pious student like him in our school …” The sight was unfamiliar but touching because it’s hard to find a young man like him nowadays. I wondered “What is he praying for so invocatory?” Then I couldn’t concentrate on my prayer as my curiosity about his subject was kick in. So, I changed the seat toward a couple of front row and started listening to his prayer pretending I was praying too with my eyes closed. I couldn’t help myself with my curiosity although I knew I shouldn’t listen to other people’s prayer but he was praying so sincerely. I could hear his prayer very well cause he was speaking up even though my eyes were closed. I was all ears in anticipation with a smile but after a short while my head was shaking from side to side. And then my face was covered with a disappointed look more and more.
His prayer was “Give me” from start to finish. I didn’t hear any confession of his sin nor confession of love and gratitude. He was not asking for wisdom like KING Solomon did. He was repeating the same words like a broken record of the stuffs he wanted to have, good grades that needed for himself only. “How he can repeat the same words like chanting a charm… God would give it to him if he confesses his love and thanks first with that tears and just say a word that he needs in the end…even human beings let alone holy trinity got to be moved by hearts to give⌠allegedly, the bottom of God’s heart is bigger than the pacific ocean but still couldn’t that kind of prayer a little bit burdensome to him? He might feel something left to be desired even he answered his prayer.” this thought came across to my mind.
Even though people sound out the other’s mind before asking when they want something from he or shenthen Why people treat God like a vending machine that the thing comes out automatically when you put the money into despite God who has profound emotion incommensurable with human being? Become resentful on the spur of the moment if it’s not given right away what he wants, misconstrued impatiently wondering why almighty God wouldn’t give it to me. Some turn their backs on God and leave him saying there’s no God when their resentments deepened. I felt bitterness in acknowledging that there’s many people who treat God like the male student. It seems like there’s not many people who wonder and search what God wants from us and willing to do it for him while God himself also wants many things from each of us.
How about knocking the door by giving thanks to him first, melt his heart with love and then ask him what I might need to do and make a commitment to myself to carry it out for him sincerely? Isn’t it appropriate that I ask him what I need in the end after this? Isn’t it desirable that I tell him why I need it in detail with respect when I ask him for something and that too leave it to him according to his will?
It seems we desperately need religious life that accompany with ‘reverent love’, fulfilling the tasks with joy that Holy trinity want from us and invoke him with truthfulness.
12. FIREWORKS
I went to the condo that was located Right in front of the beach in In-cheon. It’s the training center built like a condo for the educational personnel’s family from the city and my second older sister is a teacher so we can use it for very moderate price that I go there alone to get away from it all or sometimes with my family.
I went there by myself with the pack of 1 night 2 days to do my work in a quiet place after attending Sunday worship. Most of time, there’s no one hangs out there except weekend but it was packed with vacationers since the peak season had begun on July. Besides, it was Sunday that the road is almost empty usually looked like the car showroom with the parked cars. I could hear people’s laughing, the babble of loud voices because it’s right in front of the beach.
Late afternoon, after I came back to the room, unpacked, rest a little while and I took the laptop out and started working on the task that our lord asked me to do. Then, the outside became dark and it’s already middle of the night. At that moment, Bang! bang! ~~ Ppiong! this sounds started ringing loud. Firecracker that goes off right away makes bang! bang! sound. Firecracker that shoot up like a rocket and spread out in a circle makes “ppi~~o~~ng~~bang!” sound. I could hear people’s joyous shout right away when the firecracker was set off in the sky. They were having a ball with “wow~~.” I was tackling in front of the laptop firmly in spite of the constant din from the fireworks and shoutings. This strong voice was heard inside of me the moment I thought to myself “The beach is right in front of me but I’m here inside without sightseeing not even once.”
“Just like that, People are leading their lives as âlife of fireworks.â Flare that disappears right away after decorating the sky ornately. Another firecracker is to set off in the wistful mood with another hope when the flare is gone. But that too will be disappeared immediately. After all, without leaving anything behind in that way only trashes from the fireworks will be left on the sea shore sand. Do not waste your life on short-lived things. Do not spend your precious time on passing enjoyment. Expend your life on eternal things not on ephemeral things. Then, They shall not vanish but remain in Heaven and both of us will be able to look at them with joy for ever and ever.”
I replied with “Amen!” to Heaven’s inspiring voice. All of a sudden, fatigue was gone in an instant and my body was filled up with energy. The way I look on that day was so awesome even to my own eyes because I may have looked like confined but I was free indeed.
13. THE MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN THAT I MET AT THE PUBLIC BATH
(*A public bath: the facility that people can take bath (for men/for women separated) with an entrance fee. There is the bathing culture of scrubbing off dirt and dead skin cell cleanly with a Wash mitt in Korea.)
I went to the public bath to relieve fatigue by soaking my body in warm water. After a while, I was scrubbing my back with a long bath scrub towel holding its both ends crosswise and moving it up and down. I was having a hard time doing that because my arms were not skilled no matter how much I tried. At the moment, the middle aged woman who was sitting next to me spoke to me all of a sudden with a smile.
“Move! young lady ~ can you scrub thoroughly in that way? let me scrub your back.” I gave her the wash mitt in bewilderment and she started scrubbing my back with the greatest care. I couldn’t feel refreshed however laboriously I scrubbed because I used to do it on my own always, but I felt so cool and refreshed because she scrubbed my back with loving care like my mom. She even soaped my back cleanly after scrubbing it thoroughly. I felt so refreshed and revitalized enough that my body could fly.
“Thank you so much. It’s my turn to do your back.” She said “No, thanks. I’m good. It will tire you.(ha-ha)” and asked the woman next to her who seemed came along with her. “Hey! won’t you scrub my back.(ha-ha)” They looked like friends. “Well, you should ask the young lady not the elderly woman like me?(ha-ha)” “You’ve got to do it who loafing around at home every day. What strength this young lady could have? She must have exhausted after working all day at the office ⌠They are all our daughters, aren’t they?(ha-ha)” “That’s right.(ha-ha)” Their “ha-ha ho-ho” childlike Laughter filled the bathhouse.
The woman said exactly “They are all our daughters …..â How could she think that way? It was so gratifying and heartwarming that my eyes were wet. It seemed to me that she had a noble heart whether she had a faith or not. At the moment, I felt ashamed of myself and started pondering.
“Have I ever offered scrubbing her back first when the elderly grandma was sitting next to me considering her as my mother? After all, when boiled down to the fact, we are all one family in God….”
I was extremely shameful at myself for I couldn’t reach out to my neighbors and deal with them like my family in daily life although I regarded them precious always because they were God’s creations. I made the resolution to become more compassionate by considering my neighbors as my family before preaching the gospel.
14. THERE IS A PLAN GOD HAS FOR YOU
There is a dream that I dreamt very long ago, around 10 years ago which I can still remember vividly.
One day during the Sunday sermon, the minister who is my mentor told me that “God has a plan for you” and asked us to pray sincerely because God was going to show his plans for each of us through the dream that week. I was so curious that I prayed ardently to show that plan to me in any case. I had a strong hunch that he would likely to show the new plan which I had never thought of. I dreamt on that night when prayed for this.
I was in the land like a desert that nothing around there but strong sunlight. The warm wind was blowing and the seer tent drappery was fluttering over my head. There’s hundreds of Africans in front of me, some were sitting on the ground, some were standing and they all were looking at me. I was preaching the Gospel and they were listening to me attentively with pure and innocent eyes. In the dream, I was speaking in Korean but they could understand all the words through the spiritual communion. I preached the gospel sincerely with great zeal and they became alive after filled with spirit of life.
I was very quizzical when I woke up from that dream. Because until then, I was not interested in foreign country itself as well as the mission works in overseas. Furthermore, the continent of Africa is way too far for me to be interested in. And yet, the scene in the dream lingered deep down in my mind. Recently, I realize that the dream came true in this way without doubt because many Africans are visiting my website “Heavencometrue” and APP. Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Angola etc⌠I’m happy for those Africans whom I didn’t know very well, but now become one family altogether in our Lord.
I cherish each of them not only because we meet spiritually in Lord’s words and his grace but also we shall meet each others gladly in Heaven even though there’s a slim chance to meet face to face during in our lifetimes. No matter the color of the skin nor the culture trait, every living souls are priceless treasures and God’s precious beloved ones. That’s why I pray for them even more.
As the sun shines all over the place, God’s love for all the people in this world is truly just. I’m deeply grateful to God’s love as well for he wouldn’t stop even one second in making plans of love for us like the sun that shines without change of course.
15. THE LORD’S EDUCATION THROUGH A DREAM
I had a dream next morning of hearing the word âYou have to know Satan accurately and destroy them.â
I was walking on a street and stopped in front of a store with full of customers. It was a small fruit store, I wondered âWow, how come there are so many people, how good fruits can be?â and I went into the store.
There were no empty space because of so many people, like full of people in a subway in the morning traffic time. There were many different fruits and I noticed a box with plums. Plums looked very good so I picked one up and took a bite without noticing. Because I ate it, so I had to pay for it but when I looked at the price, I thought I looked at it by mistake. ‘$8.80 a bag? isnât this too expensive?â so I asked a clerk there in front of the cash register, and he said it would have only 6 in a bag.â âWhat? 6 for $8.80? It doesnât make sense.’ So I told him firmly. âWhy are these so expensive? Itâs about $2.00 from my town, donât you think itâs too much?â Then people who were looking at fruits stopped looking but they all looked at me listening what I was saying.
I told the clerk with higher voice. âIt is enough about $2.00. These are too expensive, itâs certainly overcharge!!â Then people were started making a commotion. People were saying she was right. They gradually begin to rage in the fact that they were deceived and started to leave one by one.
Suddenly the crowded store had only 3 people, the store owner, the clerk and me. The clerk had a very unpleasant expression when all the customers left. I said clearly, “I am right so give me 6 plums for $2.00.” The clerk with frustrated face looked at the owner with his arms crossed sitting and pretend not knowing anything in the back. The owner was blaming the clerk casually and said, why did you put wrong price and she is right so give her 6 plums for $2.00. When I looked at the ownerâs face, I could tell the owner knew all this situation but doing the business deceiving people continually. Other people did not say anything so it was easy but I said exact facts so he could not misled anymore. The owner said sorry and told the clerk to bring plums. The clerk brought out a basket and the owner himself was putting plums in a paper bag but he looked at me slightly so I felt strange.
When I looked at it carefully, the owner grabbed 3 old rotten plums, put those in the bottom of the bag and putting fresh 3 plums on top. I said immediately almost rebuking sound to the owner that put fresh 6 plums properly. The owner could not help but to put 6 fresh plums in a bag and handed it to me, then I was satisfied and gave $2.00. After paying, then I showed them the plum that I had a bite. I said, âOh, sorry, I had to pay this, too but I forgot. I already have a bite so you cannot even sell it to other people so I will just take it.â and came out laughing.
After I wake up from the dream, I realized that the Lord educated me destroying Satan through this dream. âIn this world, Satan deceive and mislead people using human bodies. Because even if people are deceived, they donât know they are deceived, people live with lots of loss spiritually and physically. You, tell it clearly to the world so people can discern the tricks of Satan and they are not to be deceived by Satan. Speak out boldly. Then people realize, become to know and they are not fooled anymore. Rebuke Satan like that. Therefore, destroy and control Satan and evil. When you rebuke with the law of truth properly, even Satan goes away.â
I realized that many people are going on the path of destruction deceived by Satan, if someone didnât tell them clearly, they would not know even if they are going to the path of destruction deceived by Satan. I made up my mind that I will live while learning the Word more, discerning the good and evil with the Lordâs thoughts and destroying Satan.