527. Love Received Through the Fifth Brother-In-Law’s wife Who Was Said to Be Just Like me, his Sister-In-Law

💌 527. Love Received Through the Fifth Brother-In-Law’s wife Who Was Said to Be Just Like me, his Sister-In-Law

Before my fifth brother-in-law married, he remarked something about his wife to be, my future sister-in-law: “Sister-in-law, she has a kind heart and is thoughtful. She is just like you, the same in every way. If you can assist to get us married, we will definitely go to Catholic church.” I am not sure if they attended Catholic church after they got married but I heard that his wife said, “Like the thief who repented on the right side of Jesus's cross, one can find salvation through repentance just before death.”

Those words tore my heart apart. Who knows when and how we will die? While offering up my sorrow, with Semchigo as if my fifth sister-in-law were a good family member and a fervent churchgoer, I prayed earnestly to God that He may use my sacrifice to help the couple return to the church. I also prayed that they could be saved in the love of Jesus.

My mother-in-law loved my fifth sister-in-law very much. One time, when it was my mother-in-law’s birthday, the whole family gathered. All my sisters-in-law were in the kitchen and it was a little noisy. And I found my fifth sister-in-law yelling. As I went in to sort things out, I heard her say, “Have any of the in-laws ever helped us with anything? And what did you, all elder sisters-in-law, help us with? When my husband was in school, you did not do anything for him!”

As she was shouting, she saw me come in and only then did she lower her voice and say, “I will repay the little help you gave us!” and stormed out. However, she never repaid me even after that and there was no expression or sharing of the tiny bit of brotherly love that can be shared between siblings.

I never practiced love expecting anything in return; I just did my best because I loved my brothers-in-law. However, my fifth sister-in-law, who was supposedly as kind as me and had the same mindset as me, acted so calculatingly even though we were family and it broke my heart. But when my fifth sister-in-law came to my mother-in-law’s birthday and gave her a sweater as a gift, my mother-in-law bragged about it to me.

“Look at this, look! My fifth one bought me such a nice sweater. What on earth did all of you do for me?” I was shocked and dumbfounded by those words. I recalled that just a few days ago, she took more than ten times the price of a sweater from me and today I even prepared the entire birthday banquet meal for her by myself. My mother-in-law, as if she noticed what I was thinking for a moment, said, 'You are the eldest daughter-in-law, so you have to do everything. Whatever you did, you just did what you had to do.” When she said that, I felt like my heart was totally broken.

“It was not that I was not born as their eldest son and my only sin was marrying their eldest son, who had a lot of burdens…” I was about to dwell on this emotion for a moment but quickly changed my mind, thinking, “This is because God loves me so much. What else could it be but His ultimate purpose of not allowing human love towards me, using me as His instrument? Yes, is not our life a lonely path of the cross toward God, Jesus, and the Blessed Mother?”

I immediately offered it up with Semchigo as if I had received my mother-in-law’s love abundantly and then my tears turned to delight. Because I loved my husband and desired to share brotherly love with many siblings, I rejected countless well-to-do men who fell in love with me and chose my husband, a humble and ordinary man.

I once again graciously offered up the countless sorrows I had to endure as the wife of the eldest son burdened with many responsibilities as “My fault.” Always living with Semchigo, as if I were loved by my mother-in-law and in-laws, I was not upset or resentful at all. Instead, I gladly offered up this painful sacrifice of my heart for the many other eldest daughters-in-law, whose hearts may also be suffering from the festering wounds due to the conflicts with their mothers-in-law, enduring hardships in their marriages.

No matter how difficult things become for us, I believe that if we live with Semchigo as if we are loved, God’s peace will be realized in this world. No matter how tough the path of the Cross has been throughout my life, as I live with the Five Spiritualities—Amen, Semchigo, Offering up graciously admitting all as my fault, practicing Prayers of Life(Turning my daily life into prayers)—Our Lord has poured out infinite love and grace, so I lack nothing and have no regrets.

Even more, I am just grateful in everything for the overflowing and utmost love of God, which He bestows upon me, this unworthy sinner. Lord, receive praise and glory!

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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