Enlightenment

Longing

My children live in distant cities now, and I only get to see them once every few months. After graduating and settling into jobs far from home, they had promised to visit at least once a month. But reality had other plans. Far from coming monthly, they would show up after several months—just long enough to share a meal before hurrying back.
 One day, they finally came home. I thought I would feel only joy at their arrival. And yet, as we sat down for a meal together, a quiet emptiness stirred in one corner of my heart. Even in their presence, I missed them.
 “How can I miss someone who is sitting right in front of me?” I wondered.…

Park Jin-mi from Daegu, Korea

The Gift

When I was a child, the moment my neighborhood friends and I gathered, we would divide into teams with a game of rock-paper-scissors and play “fist baseball.” It was a simple game where we hit a rubber ball or tennis ball with our fists and caught it with our bare hands. As long as we had a ball about the size of a fist, we would play joyfully in the alley until the sun went down, never tiring. As we pounded the ball with our bare fists until they stung, the one dream we all shared was to have a baseball bat and a glove of our own. We wanted to swing a bat and catch balls with a glove,…

Park Dong-min From Yongin, Korea

God’s Grace in Every Circumstance

My brother-in-law, who lives overseas, recently visited Korea. After a meal at home, we all gathered to watch a women’s volleyball match. The players kept the scores neck and neck, exchanging sets back and forth until they reached the fifth set. Though drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, they gave their all under the coach’s guidance, spurred on by the crowd’s enthusiastic cheers. Regardless of the final outcome, the focus and dedication of both teams were truly admirable. After the match, my brother-in-law shared a story that had touched him beyond the game itself. Each team had a foreign player, and he had been particularly attentive to one of them. This foreign attacker had spiked the ball countless times…

Lee Mi-suk From Yongin, Korea

Invisible Love

I watched a video featuring an aquarium beautifully decorated with colorful coral. Inside lived marine fish such as the porcupine puffer, yellow tang, clownfish (famous from an animated film), and the blue-striped imperial angelfish—it was as if a slice of the ocean had been transplanted into the tank. Curious about how sea fish could be raised in an aquarium, I looked into it and discovered it was far more complicated and demanding than keeping freshwater fish. First, an aquarium is needed, along with a sump tank—a separate tank that filters water through special media made for marine fish and pumps it back in. You also need a salinity meter, a submersible heater, a thermometer, lighting, a wave-making motor, an oxygen…

Gahng Yo-na from Moscow, Russia

To Sound a Clear Trumpet

“How can I preach about God as boldly as Paul?” “How can I proclaim God as confidently as Peter?” I used to think that to preach boldly and confidently, great faith was necessary. After learning that “faith comes from hearing,” I diligently studied the Bible. However, my faith did not grow as much as I had expected. While wondering what I might be missing, I came across a verse that made me realize: “Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” 1 Co 14:8 To produce a trumpet sound loud and clear enough to be heard from afar, the one blowing it must take a deep breath. Prayer is the breath of…

Park Mun-seo From Seoul, Korea

Rightly and Honestly

This happened while I was taking a break from school and working part-time at a convenience store near my home. One quiet afternoon, the sound of the bell jingling at the door snapped me out of my drowsiness. I clearly heard the door open, but no customer was in sight. Sensing something strange, I glanced at the security camera and saw a group of children, who looked like elementary school students, sneaking in through the back door. Their behavior was suspicious to anyone observing. From the cashier’s desk, the snack shelves near the back door were hidden from view. Because of this blind spot, two security cameras had been installed near the back, though the children obviously didn’t know that.…

Park Chae-un From Sokcho, Korea

Stand Firm

At the start of the new year, some of the members of Zion and I gathered together to share words of blessing and hope. As I considered what message I should share, I turned to the Scriptures, and a passage seemed to leap off the page: “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on…

Gahng Ye-jin From Gangneung, Korea

To Reach the Destination Safely

I remember the first time I boarded a flight to Russia. Since I had to travel alone for many hours and make two layovers, I was very worried that something might go wrong. With a fearful heart, I clung to God and prayed earnestly: “Please guide me so that I can find my way at each layover. Please help me reach my destination safely.” It was past midnight, and the darkness made it difficult to read the signs, but by God’s grace, I arrived safely in Russia. One year later, I boarded another flight to Russia. Since I had the experience from the previous trip, I was not very worried this time. But what happened next was completely unexpected: at…

Park Yun-ju From Melbourne, Australia

God Counts Even the Hairs of Our Head

After drying my washed hair, I’m often startled to see how much hair has fallen onto the floor. Worried that it might be the start of hair loss, I decided to do a self-check. They say that if more than 100 hairs fall out in a day, it may be considered hair loss, so I decided to try counting how many strands I lost throughout the day. However, it was much harder than I thought. It wasn’t just during washing or drying—hair would naturally fall out during everyday activities, making it nearly impossible to keep an accurate count. But as I began trying to count, I naturally became more attentive to my hair—noticing its thickness, color, and length more carefully.…

Baek Jeong-hwa From Jeonju, Korea

The Silent Helpers of Our Alley

Our house is located diagonally across from Zion. Because the church where God dwells is so close, I set off for work each morning with a joyful heart. On top of that, the alley in front of our house is always spotless—not a single piece of litter in sight—allowing me to start each day feeling refreshed. One day, I had to leave for work earlier than usual due to something urgent at the office. That morning, I finally discovered the reason the alley was always so clean. Three male adults, wearing masks and dressed lightly, were sweeping the alley. As I looked more closely at their familiar figures, I realized they were our church overseer and assistant overseers. This alley…

Gwon Mi-jeong From Seoul, Korea

Unless the Dross Is Removed

The Bible contains prophecies about those who will receive salvation. There is one verse in particular that reveals what kind of person must stand at the center of that prophecy—a verse I engraved on my heart: “Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel.” Pr 25:4 If a piece of clothing or a scarf has a loose thread when you’re about to buy it, most people would ask for a replacement. Though a single thread may seem like a small flaw, it can affect the overall value of the item. The same is true for silver—even the slightest impurity must be removed for its true worth to shine through. All the more, shouldn’t those who…

Shim Hyeon-ji From Guri, Korea

Prayer for Others

There was a time when my emotions were difficult to manage, and both my body and mind felt weighed down. But before I knew it, my mood had lifted, and I regained my strength. On a day overflowing with happiness and gratitude, feeling that Heavenly Father and Mother had helped me through my struggles, I shared with a member sitting nearby that I was feeling much better. The member smiled brightly and replied: “Deaconess, do you know how much I prayed for you?” I was momentarily puzzled by the unexpected words, but soon my heart filled with warmth and deep emotion. When I had briefly and unknowingly expressed my struggles, this member had remembered and persistently prayed to God on…

Ahn Hyo-jeong From Gwangju, Gyeonggi, Korea

Keep Watch

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”…

Park Hye-yeong From Gimhae, Korea

What I Need

The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. Ac 16:27–32 I was amazed by Paul’s actions. If it had been me, I would not have tried to…

Bae Su-jin From Cheongju, Korea

Small Kindness, Great Impact

The water purifier technician was running late for his scheduled appointment, so I gave him a call. He apologized, explaining that he had left his phone behind while quickly eating some noodles at a convenience store. Hearing his apology, I felt a bit sorry for him, imagining how rushed and pressured he must have been while eating his simple meal. When he arrived at my house, I asked, “Since noodles tend to leave you feeling hungry again soon, would you like a hot dog?” Hearing this, he smiled brightly and gratefully accepted. I also offered him a cup of coffee and encouraged him to eat before it got cold. The technician, perhaps lifted by the kindness, shared some amusing family…

Seong Hae-jeong From Changwon, Korea

God Leads Me

“The lyrics of the New Songs touch my heart and make me cry.” “I can truly feel the sacrifice and love of Heavenly Father and Mother in my heart.” “Now I understand why we are encouraged to say ‘Amen’ out loud.” “Until now, I had only known Christ Ahnsahnghong intellectually, but now I have real conviction.” “While working on my assignments, I ended up earnestly studying for the truth presentations.” These are realizations and the fragrance of Zion that came from the mouths of the students whom I had once regarded as still young and immature. During the school break, through active participation in various events like the student camp, the New Song Festival, and the Bible Preaching Contest, their…

Gwon Mi-suk From Seoul, Korea

Broken Car

Pett paf pett paf pett paf . . . With a clamorous rumble, the yellow check engine light came on when I was about to enter the highway, passing the toll gate. ‘Why today?’ It was the last day of the holiday season and there were no garages open on Sunday afternoon. I didn’t know what to do. My car didn’t become odd when I entered the highway. The check engine light had come on and off repeatedly all the day, but the engine started and I could drive with no problem, so I drove here and there to do some work. I didn’t think anything serious would happen. Late in the evening, I started out to go back home.…

Baek Hyeon-mi from Iksan, Korea

Joy of Harvesting Fruits

When I was young, my playground was all the fields and paddies in my countryside village. Helping my parents was one of the most fun plays. In the busy farming season, I ran around the fields with a hoe or a pickax in my hand, or followed my parents as they sprayed pesticides. When the harvest season came, I helped them harvest the crops that they took good care of for a year by picking beans and red peppers, or digging up sweet potatoes. Rather than feeling tired, I was just happy to be able to stay with my mom. Whenever they left for work, I always followed them. The time I spent with my parents in the fields and…

Park Jeong-ah from Gimcheon, Korea

Sorry for Leaving You in Pain

I went to my daughter Seo-hee’s kindergarten to pick her up. When her teacher brought her out, she said to me with an anxious look. “Seo-hee blinked her eyes all day. It’s not her first time. I’m worried about her.” “Ah, she has sensitive eyes, so she does that when she feels sleepy or reads a lot. I’ll put her to bed earlier, and then she’ll be alright.” I said as if it was not a big problem, and I came back home. However, probably because of what her teacher said, it seemed like she was blinking her eyes more often than before. When she was reading a book or eating or talking, she wouldn’t stop blinking her eyes. Finally,…

Jeong Eun-jeong from Seoul, Korea

I Eagerly Desired

Two years ago, I went to the hospital because my ankle was hurting. The doctor told me that my joint was worn out severely, and so I scheduled a surgery. I wanted to be quickly in full recovery through the surgery, but as the surgery day was approaching, I felt scared. I kept imagining the surgery scene, and even thought about canceling it. On the day of surgery, I headed to the operating room, lying on the bed as if I was waiting for death. Probably because I was so scared, the operating room looked cold and even the doctors’ white gowns seemed cold. I prayed eagerly. As soon as they gave me anesthesia, I fell into a deep sleep.…

Kim Jong-su from Seongnam, Korea