I never cried so much on Christmas day.
He prepared me for it all this time and I had no idea.
Today, my family shared Christmas dinner with an old church friend-family who we’ve known since our immigration to the States back in 2001. Even when my parents stopped attending church few years ago and our home church split recently, they stood by us in support and love.
In the beginning of the month, the mother of this family (I call her Park Jipsanim) asked the Lord how she should spend Christmas. He told her to spend it with my family.
I thought it was just a meal. I thought it would just be casual conversations exchanged over good food. Then goodbyes.
God had something much better in store for the night. Like He always does.
The beginning was typical. Many hello’s and how are you’s… until somewhere along the conversation, Park Jipsanim asked me about college life.
All of the sudden, we were going around in circle sharing about what we’re thankful for in 2012 and what we hope for in 2013.
It turns out my dad has been attending church in the past months. He was not only attending church, but also listened to sermons in his spare time. He shared how he has so much more peace as burdens and weight were lifted off from him. He filed bankruptcy and closed down his 8+ year business few months ago. But right after, God provided him with a green card after 11 years of waiting. He then went to Korea. He visited the grave of his mother, who passed away few weeks before. And he got a new job soon after his return. It turns out that the boss rejected someone much younger than him to accept him. All his employees are 10+ years younger than him. He loves his job.
One word = God.
I started crying. I saw God’s hands all over him.
Though he may have not yet accepted God as the Lord over his life, God is doing an intentional thing in his heart.
For 2013, despite the pressures and difficulty, he wants to be consistent with his church attendance.
There were so much more that happened… I sat, listened and shared rest of the night overwhelmed with love, joy, thanksgiving, and repentance.
Park Jipsanim and I closed the night with prayer. Holy Spirit moved so powerfully and intimately through my lacking Korean.
When we got home, I heard my mom quietly lifting up prayers of thanksgiving to God.
Wow.
I honestly can’t remember the last time my family shared our hearts with one another. Just a month ago, I shed tears after coming back from thanksgiving break because I felt so empty and lonely in my own home.
In my few weeks at home this whole year, I would pray for Shekinah Glory to fall down in my family. But as God has been teaching me in my personal walk, He is showing me how he is not only a God of fire, but of gentle whisper… and how when I tune into that gentle whisper, the effect is greater than that of the all consuming fire.
He is breathing life into my family in this way. He is taking his time for a reason. He wants the healing and restoration process to be full and complete, so that He will be glorified.
God keeps reminding me that He will redeem my family.
God keeps telling me that I’m going to serve and advance His kingdom with my family.
God has his way of surprising his children. He gave me a gift today. On his birthday.
He swept me right back to the moment when He, in all His glory and splendor, knelt down down to wash His disciples’ feet.
Happy birthday, Jesus. And thank you.
beauty in the broken 