Enlightenment

Read When You Miss Me

Working on a school assignment, I learned about manuscripts. In the period of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, when printing techniques were not developed and books were in low quantity, it was common to transcribe books by hand. Such a handwritten document is called manuscript. Transcription was usually done by those who transcribed by profession, but parents or grandparents often transcribed books for children in the family. Many times, manuscripts were used as education materials as young children could copy letters and learn how to read while reading their parents handwritten stories and lessons contained in the book. Children who lived far after getting married could feel their parents whom they could not meet frequently through manuscripts. A typical example…

Lee Seon-mi from Seoul, South Korea

The Secret of Blessing

I was curious about why a certain member seemed to receive so many spiritual blessings, so I began to observe her closely. Before long, I discovered the answer. Her greatest gift was gratitude. Whenever she found even the smallest reason to give thanks, she did so abundantly. She never forgot the things she was thankful for but kept them in her heart, reflecting on them again and again. It seemed that the true secret to blessing lay in living like a true child of God—never taking the sacrifices of Heavenly Father and Mother for granted, but being thankful at every moment. Then I looked back on myself. When I first received the truth, I was grateful for everything. But somewhere…

Choi Yoonhee from Daegu, Korea

How Could You Endure It?

When I was little, the four of us sisters shared a small room. As soon as we lay down to sleep, we could hear our mother groaning softly in the next bed. “Oh . . . oh . . .” My sister, who was two years older than me, and I worried that she might be seriously ill. “Tomorrow morning when we wake up, you have to ask Mom where it hurts, okay?” “Okay.” But by the time we woke up, Mother had already gone out to the fields. In the end, we never asked—and as time passed, we simply forgot. Not long ago, I visited my parents’ home. That night, I once again heard my mother groaning in bed.…

Kim Sun-sook from Chungju, Korea

Spiritual Buoyancy

On earth, the blue whale is known as the largest animal, with adults weighing over 100 tonnes. In the Southern Hemisphere, some even reach 180 tonnes—an astonishing size. Yet even such an enormous creature does not sink but swims freely in the ocean. The secret lies in buoyancy. Buoyancy is the upward force exerted by a liquid or gas that allows an object to float. Without it, not only whales but no marine creature, person, or ship could remain afloat upon the water. In the same way, a soul once drowning in the sea of sin can rise toward heaven because spiritual buoyancy began to work through God’s sacrifice. I give sincere thanks for that boundless grace.

Park Eun-seo from Daegu, Korea

My Mom

In my mom’s mind, there is room for nothing but thoughts of her children. Under the scorching sun, she pulls weeds while checking again and again whether the sesame seeds have ripened. She carefully threshes each one and sends them by courier, parcel by parcel, to her children living far away. Even after giving us everything she has, whenever she calls, she only asks how we are doing and if we need anything. In conversations entirely centered on me, I barely manage to ask how she is doing—but her answer is always the same. “I’m fine. As long as you live well, that’s enough.” I found it difficult to raise even two children, but my mom raised three. When my…

Park Hye-young from Gimhae, Korea

If We Remain in God Until the End

When I was in middle school, I was a troublemaker who never listened. I did whatever I wanted, always full of complaints, frowning, and rebelling. I did not practice God’s teachings—such as speaking with grace, greeting warmly, or showing consideration for others. In high school, I tried to pull myself together and change, but it was not easy. Serving my brothers and sisters and praying for others, as I had learned in Zion, felt beyond my ability. Even so, I never missed the student group gatherings. Whether it rained or I was out with friends, I always made sure to attend. Before long, I became a young adult and wanted to take part in many gospel activities such as IWBA…

Song Hae-in from Incheon, Korea

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