Just a Simple Prayer

First snow fell on the beautiful Korean peninsula today. I really like snow, somehow I always felt like it was a gift for me since I was a child. Cuz every time I prayed for snow as a kid I would remember getting it. I could hear screams from outside the dorms as well as from the kitchen area. As I posted my status on Facebook of how happy I was to see snow so early this year, one of my leaders remembered the story of how I prayed for snow in Egypt awhile back. I wanted to post the link of my blog post where I told that story, but realized I never wrote about it....So here you guys go! 

Since I grew up in Korea my Christmases would always be filled with snow, but after moving around and eventually moving to Egypt I obviously wasn't getting any snowflakes anytime soon. When Christmas rolled around Freshman year of High School I started getting homesick and longed to see snow again. At this point I haven't seen snow in 4 years, so I prayed for months asking God to make it snow in Egypt so I wouldn't feel so homesick. Such a selfish prayer, I know but hey I was a kid and it's child-like faith there for you. I started praying in November hoping to get it sometime in December. As impossible as it seemed in the natural I still believed that God would hear my prayers. I prayed knowing that He could do anything, but when February rolled around I figured God didn't want to change the weather patterns and freak people out thinking that it might be the end of the world, so I stopped praying. To my surprise during Easter break we went to Mt Sinai for the first time, and it started to rain on our way there. For some that may not know, it hardly ever rains in Egypt, if it ever does choirs of rejoicing would be heard across the whole country, even if it rains only for a few seconds. This rain was different, it rained for a good hour or more and we heard that they had to cancel our church service back in our town because it began to flood there. Long story short once we got to the top of Mt. Sinai to see the sunrise we couldn't even see it because of all the fog. Then suddenly out of nowhere white particles started falling from the sky. I honestly didn't know what it was for a good few seconds because I haven't seen it in a while but my mom informed me that it was snow.

I was so awestruck to see how God moves. He heard my simple prayers and changed the weather just for me so I wouldn't feel so homesick. He definitely knows how to speak to us in ways only we can understand. I couldn't believe that He would do such a thing. It blessed me so much to know that the Maker of the universe isn't just a distant God that has this to-do-list trying to check off the things you have done or not, but a relational God that listens to you and shows you that He cares; and for this girl it was showing His love through sending snow to the sandy land. I am honored to be called a daughter of the Most High; He is good yesterday, today, and forever.

Hope this blesses ya'll. Know that no matter how simple your prayers are He hears them all! Happy First Snow day everyone! ^_^

Reading Journal Entries

One of the things I love doing is reading past journal entries, especially after a retreat where He reminds me of His faithfulness in my life. For those of you who don’t know my story, I was lead to come to Korea 6 months before starting college. Although I already applied and got into the school of my dreams in America, I knew He was calling me here. Despite me battling Him for what I wanted He made is SO clear that I was to come to Korea. After various miraculous occurrences I managed to apply to Yonsei University (I didn’t even know universities existed in Korea till this point) just 4 months before school begins. Got in to this prestigious university despite what my report card said and got my parents’ blessing too! It was crazy as I think back so much happened in a short period of time.

One thing I remembered so clearly was how upset I was if I could find a community. I remembered crying in my room asking God “Will you give me a community that loves you just as much as I do and even more?” Because if I went to America I knew I would have a community there already. A lot of my friends from elementary school went to that college. I knew I could get plugged in right away, but if I had chosen Korea I would have no control. He kept assuring me to trust Him and believe that He had plans not to harm me but to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Here I am 4 years later, after He offered His hand and asking me “Do you trust me?” and me reaching for His saying “Yes.” Let me just say that this has been the craziest magic carpet ride that I have ever been on in my life! Reading my past journal entries of when I first came to Korea of how broken, depressed, and lonely I was and reading the progression of each encounter I had with Him through sermons and my New Philly family brought me to tears.

I felt like I was reading a novel, a story of a girl whose life seemed to be so perfect, but she was so broken inside. I was reading the journey of how she encountered her Prince who pursued her day in and day out. Who planned amazing things for her life, but she didn’t always trust him and sometimes went her own way. Each time she would come back He would still be on His knees waiting for her to accept the ring. When she finally said yes, He made her a Princess. The orphan girl who walked the streets of shame and doubt, He crowned her with His glory. As she learned to be a Princess she learned of more of His love for her. That she didn’t have to do everything perfectly, He loved her regardless. She could never fail in His eyes. The more she got to know her Prince the more she knew her true identity. She no longer fell for the lies that would be whispered to her. With each step she grew in influence and authority. She became a Princess full of boldness who realized that she was made to rule a Kingdom. She shined His light through the dark places of the Kingdom, she was sent binding up the broken hearted, proclaiming freedom for the captives and sharing the Good News that true love does exist. Although at times she would hear the lies that she wasn’t made for this, she would look back and see the faithfulness of her Prince. Her Prince that unconditionally loved her, and that was she needed to know to walk in her destiny.

I'm always in awe of how amazing He is and His love for me. I honestly had no clue what life would have been like in Korea 4 years ago, but I am SO glad I said YES! Yes to His plans, Yes to His promises, Yes to following Him! Life might get crazy, but I trust He writes the best stories EVER!

He'll Use My Story Too!

So for my last blog post I talked about how I ended up going to the clinic asking for more medicine for my allergic reactions when I didn’t know I actually got an anti-allergy shot already. 

 So I took the medicine to help with the healing process. On Thursday night as I was dragging my laundry basket to the dorm elevator to head to the laundry room a girl in the hallway approached me. She said “Do you have an antihistamine? I got an allergic reaction to something and it’s showing up in my face and I have trouble breathing.” At first I didn’t know what she was asking cuz I had no idea that allergy medicine was called that, but it took me a few seconds to realize that I ACTUALLY HAD ALLERGY MEDICINE!! I don’t really have a bad allergic reactions to the things I’m allergic to so I never actually possessed any sort of antihistamine in my life. So for her to ask me at that moment was crazy! I told her I had some and ran back to my room to get it. She said thank you and took it. After I came back up from putting my laundry in the machine I spotted her in the lounge and asked her how she was. She kept thanking me saying that she is feeling much better and could breathe a lot better too! 

I find it crazy that the only time in my life that I ever had to take allergy medicine was when someone around me so happen to need it! As I reflected on this situation I realized that we as Christians often think that what we did in the past was things God wanted us to go through so we can see His glory later on. As true as that is God wants to also redeem what we’ve done in the past. One thing I learned in Emmaus is that when we get hurt by relationships, relationships are the very thing that will heal us. Just like in my previous post I talked about how I basically went my own way trying to get rid of this allergy the quick way by getting medicine from the clinic. Thinking I wasted my money since I already paid for a shot (without knowing). When the truth is, my own ideal “quick fix” ended up saving someone’s life. Just in that same way I know that God also brings goods things out of the foolish things we’ve done in the past. Don’t feel ashamed about what you’ve done. Your testimony is a spirit of prophecy for others around you. So be encouraged, He will use your story one day to bless someone around you. :)