By the Lord Who Comes to the Lowly People, We Could Make the Family Happier through Precious Trials!
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 15092 |
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December 26, 2010 |
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Senior Deaconess Haksoon Seo (President of Second Women's Mission)
We considered and served one another and did our best to be faithful to the kingdom of God while we were in trials so that our family could become more united in love and trust. (From the left, Sister Soyoung Cho, Senior Deaconess Haksoon Seo, Elder Ilgon Cho, and Brother Bumseok Cho)
In December of 1989, I registered at Manmin Central Church and began feeling God's love and leading a proper Christian life. By the grace and blessing of God, my soul became prosperous. I was assigned many duties such as the sub-district leader of Parish 12-2, a group leader, a mission leader and a united mission leader of Women's Mission. During this time, Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee prayed for my daughter Soyoung in the name of Jesus Christ. When he did, she was healed of a chronic middle ear infection by the power of God. This work encouraged my husband Elder Ilgon Cho to lead a fervent Christian life as well.
His faith continually grew and in September of 1994, he presented a telephonic ARS (Automated Response System) service to Manmin Central Church as a form of offering. Originally it included Dr. Jaerock Lee's prayer for the sick and a 3-minute sermon recorded on the phone. Now Korean, English, Chinese and French languages are available at #82-2-830-5320 but it is English only at #1-770-554-5679. Through this telephonic prayer service, many healing miracles have been taking place in the name of Jesus Christ. The miracles include the revival of those who were dying, the healing of burns, recovery from injures in traffic accidents and the curing of various diseases. In all God has been greatly glorified.
God has let us reap whatever we have sown and even blessed us with more than we've sown. My husband, Elder Cho, ran a bookstore and received much financial blessing. Our two children grew up properly in spirit and flesh by the grace of the Lord, and we lacked nothing. But one day something unexpected happened to us.
My Family Became More United in True Faith
In 2002, my husband had a strong desire to establish a major private educational institute and invested a great amount of money to achieve that goal, but he was swindled out of the money he invested. From that time on and for several years we were in great debt of a couple of hundred thousand US dollars. We had to live a very tough life paying off the debt. We had lived in abundance for a long time and we felt severely burdened because we had fallen into such financial difficulty in just a day. But thankfully this difficulty led us to have the blessing of the prosperity of our souls and we were able to become more united in the Lord.
My husband and two children urged me to be more faithful to works of God while they were fulfilling their duties and taking care of the house. Financial difficulty never hindered me from fulfilling my God-given duties. I did my best to do my duties in all aspects. I was just sorry that I couldn't help poor members with financial support. At that time my husband ran a dumpling house. One day he said to my son Bumseok, "Shall we order a pizza?" Bumseok answered, "Daddy! Not possible! For a piece of pizza, we'd have to sell 10 dumplings!"
My daughter Soyoung had the same heart that Bumseok did. The two children did not go the wrong way even though our home was not in a good condition. Though they did not have to do laborious work, they began working at part-time jobs to earn college tuition fee. They also studied hard to receive scholarships. The tuition fee amounted to approximately 15,000,000 Won (13,000 US Dollars) every year, but they earned that amount of money for themselves.
Through Trials My Heart Broadened and Changed into a Heart of Goodness
While going through financial trials, I came to measure and understand the hearts of mission members who lived a poor life, and to consider them even in small things. So, I no longer asked them, "Did you have lunch?" but instead I said to them, "Let's go out to lunch. I want to treat you."
One night after we came back home from church, my husband said, "What about some fried chicken for dessert?" I felt ill-feeling at being provoked deep in a corner of my heart. I was reminded of many bills to be paid the next day. I said to him, "Honey! We're struggling severely to pay off our debts. How could you say something like that?" I said it in a way that revealed my ill-feelings.
Since I had always tried my best to serve others with good heart at the church, I couldn't discover forms of untruths including hatred and ill-feelings. But I found some forms of untruths in my attitude of serving my husband and repented and did my best to cultivate true goodness in practice and tried to become a virtuous and excellent wife.
It was so thankful that my husband had not been offended at my uncomfortable words but instead he considered it to be his own fault. And he said to me, "If you can just wait a bit more, I will surely change." He always set his mind on the positive side of the future. That's why quarrelling couldn't happen between us and nothing hurt my children's hearts. We all believed that trial was allowed for our true blessing, and confessed everything only in faith and gave thanks in everything. So, we felt only happiness during the trials.
Blessings Were Overflowing after Making a Vowed Offering and Humbling Ourselves
At last we paid off all our debts in 2008. I expected financial blessing would come to us, but for the next two years it was the same as before. The reason was that my husband had not been able to offer God his vowed offering because he had already spent it on his current business. We repented of that and waited for the mercy of God.
In December of 2009, Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee expressed his love for us in spirit and flesh because he fully understood our situation. He had not forgotten at all that my husband offered the telephonic ARS service to the church and we offered our dedications to the church in many ways. He not only encouraged us with good words but also supported us with a big amount of relief offering. My husband and I didn't spend the money on his new business but fulfilled his vow first of all. Then, overflowing blessing came upon us in spirit and flesh.
My husband quit his business lowering himself and entered an insurance company. Now he is giving a monthly tithe of 1,300,000 Won (1,200 US Dollars). My daughter Soyoung spends time reading the Bible and Senior Pastor's religious books and offering prayers to God. Once she didn't prepare for the mid-term examination but she could concentrate on some specific parts by the help of the Holy Spirit and gained satisfactory points. In the year of 2011, she will serve as vice president of the 4th college mission and praise leader at Tuesday Praise Worship Service.
I am so happy and very thankful for a good father who loves his children, good children who are pressing on toward the goal of entering New Jerusalem, my Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee who is leading us to hope for Heaven and resembling the Lord in prayer, and the Lord who has given me overflowing joy and happiness in everyday life.
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