Walking the Path of God’s Will
Around the time I was preparing to enter college, a desire arose in my heart to live a life devoted to following God. However, I did not know what I should do or where to begin. Wanting to understand God’s will, I opened the Bible, and Jesus’ teaching to be “the salt and light of the world” caught my attention. From then on, I tried in my own way to put those words into practice. When those around me saw the positive changes in me, they encouraged me to continue reading the Bible. It was only after coming to the Church of God, however, that I realized that entering the path of salvation required more than simply reading the Bible and doing good deeds. I needed to receive God Elohim and keep the new covenant, the teaching of love.
What led me onto the path of salvation was a single phone call from a friend. When he invited me to visit the church he attended that weekend, I agreed without giving it much thought. When Saturday came, I worked at a hamburger restaurant from early morning until around noon. My father came to pick me up, and I got into his car. I remembered my promise to my friend, but I was tired and wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. At that moment, I thought as though I were praying, “God, if You want me to go to church, please have my friend call me right now.” Amazingly, my phone began to ring. It was that very friend. After speaking with him, I got out of my father’s car and went straight to the church.
On the day I first visited the Church of God, I studied the teachings of the Bible about the Sabbath and the secret of the forgiveness of sins. The truths I encountered—teachings I had never heard anywhere else—were astonishing and deeply moving. It was as though the path to following God, which had once seemed so vague, had suddenly become clear. Without hesitation, I followed God’s word and immediately received the blessing of new life.
From then on, I faithfully kept God’s decrees and continued studying the truth. As my faith in God Elohim grew, I came to understand that leading even one soul to salvation was truly a good and meaningful work—the very act of becoming “salt and light.” I therefore shared the word of God diligently with my family, friends, and coworkers. My mother was the first among them to receive the truth. After confirming the existence of God the Mother through the Bible, she came to Zion that very Sabbath and was reborn as a child of God. My younger sisters and father later received the promise of salvation as well. My mother now cares for the faith of our other family members and works alongside me in the gospel.
Another significant change that came into my life after receiving God was the opportunity to share God’s love and the news of salvation with many people through music. Music has always been an inseparable part of my life. I had played the drums for twenty-five years, beginning in childhood, and at one time, I had dreamed of becoming a musician. After receiving the truth, I hoped to do something meaningful through music and bring glory to God. God fulfilled that desire on a scale far beyond anything I had imagined. I was given the opportunity to participate in concerts commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Church of God at Lincoln Center in New York, where every musician dreams of performing; the United Nations Headquarters, a symbol of peace and unity; and the Pentagon, the heart of the United States Department of Defense. The concerts, held one after another over several days, were meaningful occasions to convey love through music—the universal language—to residents and distinguished guests from many sectors of American and international society. They also shared the message that a mother’s love is the key to resolving the many social problems facing the world today.
After experiencing those dreamlike moments, a new wish arose within me—or rather, a desire I had carried for a long time became even stronger. I wanted to bring joy to Heavenly Mother by presenting a performance in unity with other Zion members. Amazingly, God fulfilled that dream as well before long. I was given an opportunity to visit Korea and perform with brothers and sisters from Mongolia, Japan, and other countries at the New Jerusalem Day Celebration Event.
The members from the United States and I prepared a percussion performance. With only a little over a month to rehearse, however, creating one unified sound was not easy. Unless our rhythm, breathing, and even our heartbeats became one, mistakes inevitably followed. At first, I wondered how I should lead the members. Before long, however, I realized that it was wrong to think that I could make them perform well through my own strength. When I asked myself what Heavenly Mother would do, my role became clear. I tried to set a good example and encouraged the members who were worried about whether they could perform well. I reminded them that Mother, who knew our abilities better than anyone, would surely help us. We prayed with one heart that the performance would be filled with grace and then stepped onto the stage. Mother answered our prayers and poured out Her blessings, enabling us to deeply move the Zion family gathered throughout the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute.
While the performance taught me the meaning of true unity, caring for the members in a small Zion allowed me to reflect more deeply on God’s sacrifice and love. When the time for worship drew near and no one had arrived, I prepared for the worship service alone, singing the opening New Songs. At those moments, I often thought of Father, who led the Church and cared for His children alone during the early days of the gospel. There were also times when I carefully prepared dinner to welcome a member and waited, only for that person not to come or contact me. Through such experiences, I came to understand the hearts of parents who anxiously wait for a child who has not returned home, worrying that something may have happened. The concern and love of our heavenly Parents, directed solely toward Their children, touched me deeply. I remembered Father, who never rebuked His children even when their faith was weak, but continued teaching them the truth while looking ahead to their potential for growth. I resolved that I, too, would care for my brothers and sisters with a heart that resembled Father and Mother.
I am always grateful for this journey, which feels new each day, as God’s teachings fill what I lack and gradually transform me into someone worthy to be called a child of God. I give thanks to God for guiding me to follow His will correctly and live a life of salt and light. Following the example Father and Mother have shown, I will humble myself even more, serve the members with humility, and lead many souls to salvation through love. In this way, I will become a prophet after God’s own heart, like David.
