Enlightenment

A Mother’s Hands

I once watched a social experiment video. Participants were shown photos of someone’s palms and asked what kind of work the person might do. Their answers were: “hands with many wrinkles that work with soil,” “someone who does hard labor,” “hands that have endured much hardship.” A moment later, the owners of those hands appeared. They were the participants’ own mothers, wives, sisters, or daughters. Stunned, they stood speechless for a while. Soon, tears welled up, and some even kissed the hands before them. Seeing the stories engraved in those hands—hands that had sacrificed for family and silently endured a lifetime of hardship—brought a lump to my throat. I, too, quietly held my mother’s hand. Married when she was still…

Gu Yeonhee from Suncheon, Korea

Mother’s Laundry

After leaving home to live in a dormitory for my studies, I go home once a week to deliver worn clothes for laundry. I stay for only a few hours to idle and to eat, leaving extra work to my mom. And then, I return to the dormitory. My home became more like the dormitory and my dormitory has become home to me. One day I came to stay home for a longer time. In the mean time, I decided to do good deeds at home. While unpacking my bags, I folded my laundry and stacked them one by one. Seeing the laundry piled up, I thought, ‘How did Mom wash all my clothes every week, along with all the…

Mary Rose Tandugon Tandoy from Quezon City, Philippines

Mother Bird’s Maternal Love

While I was plucking out bean stalks in a vegetable garden with my wife, I found a bird’s nest. It seemed that there was only the nest, so we thought nothing of it and threw it away with the bean stalks. But while I was working, I was surprised to find a baby bird near my legs. In haste, I wrapped the baby bird in my hands, and when I looked around again, I saw another baby bird nearby. Just to be sure, I looked around here and there, and I found another baby bird at some distance. Just then, I suddenly remembered the bird nest that we had thrown away with the bean stalks. I gathered the baby birds,…

Nir Kaji Pakhrin from Kathmandu, Nepal

Mother’s Love That Bears Everything

When I started attending school, I was excited that I would meet new friends whom I could play and learn with. However, my mother was not like me; from the beginning of the semester, my mom walked me to my school and then headed off to work every day. When my class ended, she brought me to her workplace. Then she bought an ice cream and put it on my hand so that I could behave while waiting for her to finish. Mom always woke up early to prepare meals for my sister and me, walked miles away every day to drop and fetch me to school, and could not sleep until late to wash our uniforms so we could…

Judy Anne Gaquit from General Santos, Philippines

Precious Life, Precious Gospel

While preaching in a mall, I met a woman who had just started to believe in God. When a member and I asked if we could show her about God the Mother who is testified in the Bible, she said, “Of course! Actually, I just bought a Bible!” She took the beautiful hardcover Bible out of her shopping bag and handed it to me. We showed her about Heavenly Father and Mother, the Saviors in this age, and God’s regulations, through the Bible. For a long time, she listened attentively to God’s words. She was astonished at the earnest message of God which contained the truth and eternal life. She leaned in closely to pay more attention. When we were…

Joy Padua from Chicago, IL, U.S.

My Daughter’s Comfort

“Mom! I got one question wrong by mistake in the test today. I could’ve got it right . . . .” My daughter expressed her frustration as soon as she got home. “It’s okay, dear. You can do better next time! Is there something you want to eat at the dinner? I will cook it for you.” My daughter is young, but she has her own worries and things that make her upset such as the school tests just like any other kids. I feel bad because I can’t do it for her. The only thing I can do is comfort her with encouraging words, hoping that she can overcome it by herself. I think I should be concerned and…

Na Su-yeon from Wonju, South Korea

Like a Tree Planted by the Water

I was often troubled by the question of how to bear good fruit. I had faithfully sown the seeds of the Word, yet no visible results seemed to follow. Then one day, a passage I heard in a sermon deeply moved my heart: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jer 17:7–8 Just as a tree planted by the water keeps its leaves green even in the…

Jung Woo-hee from Jeonju, Korea

The Size of Love

Though I often said with my lips that God’s love is wide and deep, I could not truly grasp it, for it is invisible to the eye. One day, while reading the Bible, I found a verse that allowed me to measure, in part, the size of God’s love: “God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Ti 2:4 We are sinners who, because of the sins we committed in heaven, were sentenced to death (Ro 6:23). Yet God desires that even such sinners be saved. That is why He Himself put on the clothes of the flesh and came to this earth, enduring hardship, pain, and humiliation.…

Choi Miran from Seongnam, Korea

Mask

No matter how severe the fine dust was, I never used to wear a face mask. But now, I put one on faithfully from the moment I step outside until I return home. There are even times when I realize I’ve forgotten my mask and rush back to get it. It has become almost impossible to use public transportation or enter stores without one. Perhaps because I never liked wearing masks to begin with, they still feel uncomfortable. On days when the temperature rises even slightly, it becomes especially hard. With half my face covered, sweat pours down like rain, and breathing grows difficult. Even when the wind blows, it does not feel cool, and the urge to take off…

Kim Hye-seon from Seoul, Korea

The Treasure in a Life of Faith

On a television program, a university professor once spoke about the Korean language and writing. One might wonder what could possibly be difficult for a Korean person about speaking Korean. Yet recently, reading comprehension—the ability to read and understand written text—has become a major social concern, which caught my attention. Considering that language skills form the foundation for understanding knowledge in various fields such as science, mathematics, and social studies, and that they are also the basis for expressing one’s thoughts clearly and communicating effectively, it is indeed an essential ability for everyone. The professor suggested “word collecting” as a way to improve one’s Korean skills, saying that if you collect words one by one and keep them in your…

Jo Jae-eon from Stuttgart, Germany

The Reason the Door Opens

My 14-month-old daughter loves pressing buttons around the house and watching what happens. Whenever she presses the light switch and the living room lights turn on, she claps her hands with a bright smile—as if she’s accomplished something wonderful. When she’s especially delighted, she even shouts her own little exclamation, “Da!” Her favorite buttons are on the door locks—both for the main entrance of our apartment building and for our home. Whenever we return from an outing, she squirms in my arms, pointing excitedly at the door, eager to press the buttons herself. If no one else is passing by, we stop and let her try. Of course, the door never opens from the random numbers she presses. After a…

Kim Jong-bin from Gimje, Korea

My Father’s Heart

I can say with confidence that my dad loves me more than anyone else in the world. That love has never changed from the time I was little until now. Even though I live abroad and we only see each other through daily video calls, my dad’s love and concern for me remain exactly the same. Whenever he sees a beautiful flower, he captures it with his camera and sends it to me. When he comes across my old pictures—like my elementary, middle, and high school graduation photos—he sends them with a short message: “You’re so pretty.” If he visits somewhere nice or sees a breathtaking view, he immediately calls me on video so I can enjoy it with him…

Won Seon-young from the 3rd Mexico City Church, Mexico

God Begins a New Work

When something into which we have poured much time and effort comes to nothing overnight, anyone would feel despair. Yet at the very moment when it seems that everything has ended, God begins a new work. Samuel deeply cherished Saul, whom he had anointed as king according to God’s will. Therefore, no one grieved more than Samuel over Saul’s downfall. But while Samuel was still in sorrow, God had already chosen David and was beginning a new history (1 Sa 16:1). “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. . . . In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” Pr 16:3, 9 When it feels as though all my…

Seong-eon Lee from Goyang, Korea

The Bond Between Mother and Child

I cannot use a vegetable slicer. I’ve never been hurt by one, nor have I seen anyone get hurt, yet whenever I see it, a strange fear grips me—as if it might cut my hand. For that reason, I’ve never used a vegetable slicer even once. One day, while grocery shopping, I told my mom about this. Then I heard an astonishing story. When my mom was pregnant with me, she was seriously injured while using a vegetable slicer. She cut her hand deeply and bled a lot. She had to go to the hospital to get the wound stitched, but because she was pregnant, she could not be given any medication. She endured the treatment without anesthesia. My mom…

Nam Da-hye from Suwon, Korea

There Is No Such Thing as Coincidence

I moved from Daejeon to Anyang to attend high school. Two years later, I moved again from Anyang to another city, and my commute became much longer. It was only after riding the bus for over an hour to get to school that I realized how large Anyang truly was. While living in Anyang, my range of activity had been quite small—just my high school, Zion, the subway station, and the intercity bus terminal. Everything I needed was within a ten-minute walk. Because all these places were so conveniently clustered together, I had assumed Anyang was simply a small city. Looking back, I see that this was nothing short of a miracle. They say there is no such thing as…

Bae Su-jin from Cheongju, Korea

Removing Stains

My son, who is in elementary school, loves playing in nature. Since he enjoys catching insects and fish, he always leaves the house in clean clothes in the morning but often returns covered in dirt and stains. The problem is that if I put his clothes straight into the washing machine, the stains remain, and the clothes look as if they were never washed. Dark-colored clothes can hide them a bit, but on light-colored ones, the stains stand out vividly. No matter how many times I wash them, they do not come out easily, so I end up setting them aside in a pile until I have time to work on them. On that day, I spray stain remover on…

Yoo Seunghee from Busan, Korea

The Reason the Way to Heaven Is Peaceful and Smooth

One day while preaching the gospel, a childhood friend came to my mind. I really wanted to deliver the good news of salvation to her, but I couldn’t remember how to get to her house. I earnestly prayed to Heavenly Father and Mother to allow me to meet her. Finally, thanks to God’s help, I remembered visiting her house with my mom. Actually, the one who took me to her house was my mom when I was young; she was the child of my mom’s friend. Several days later, I visited her with my mom. When I arrived at the garden, the memory of playing around in bare feet slowly returned. After spending a good time with each other, we…

Saru Baskota from Kirtipur, Nepal

What Empathy Is

Unlike me, who has many years of driving experience, my wife did not have a driver’s license. So whenever we went anywhere, driving was always my responsibility. Sometimes, when an aggressive driver suddenly cut in, I would be startled and feel a surge of irritation, but I kept it in. Yet when my wife scolded me, asking what I would do if I hit the brakes too suddenly, I felt unfairly blamed. I wanted to argue back, “If I don’t brake when someone cuts in like that, we’ll crash!” But I stayed quiet, reminding myself to focus on driving safely. Eventually, my wife got her driver’s license. However, even after several years, the number of times she has actually driven…

Oh Dae-yeop from Seoul, Korea

The More I Give Thanks

On a hot summer day, a blackout occurred in the apartment due to excessive electricity usage. After four hours, the emergency generator was operated, but before long, another blackout occurred. The announcement asking residents to refrain from using electricity except for the refrigerator continued late into the night. I was worried because I had to move luggage brought from my parents’ house from the parking lot, but I was thankful that the elevator was operating. I was thankful that the apartment stairway lights were on so it wasn’t dark. I was thankful that I could use my phone’s flashlight when going to the bathroom, and that water came out so I could wash. I was thankful that the food in…

Im Kyung-a from Gwangju, Korea

Presenting to God With Thanksgiving

Recently, my worries have increased. I wanted to find a solution, knowing that merely worrying would change nothing. To me in such a state, God gave the answer: Be thankful. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 While thinking about how to put thankfulness into practice, I came across the idea of a “gratitude journal.” At first, I wondered what effect simply writing down things I was thankful for could have. Thinking I had nothing to lose, I decided to give it a try. Without any set format, I began filling a notebook with a list of things for which I was grateful. Surprisingly,…

Kim Min-gi from Gyeongju, Korea