751. Though the Parishioners Criticized Me, the Elderly Man Rejoiced, Saying He Had Gained the Whole World

💌751. Though the Parishioners Criticized Me, the Elderly Man Rejoiced, Saying He Had Gained the Whole World

The elderly man opened his eyes and began a new life, but from that point on, the judgment I received from the parishioners only grew more intense. Since his house did not have a coal briquette stove, we had to burn firewood instead. However, pinewood was hard to find. At the time, most people used coal briquettes, so there were very few places that sold pinewood.

So, I asked around in the countryside and bought a large quantity of pinewood all at once. Since there was so much of it, my husband—who was off work that Sunday—came with my mother and our children to help stack the bundles of firewood. But as parishioners passed by and saw the scene, they whispered among themselves, “Nothing in this world comes for free, right? She must be up to something. Otherwise, why would she help an old man who is no better than a beggar?”

Throughout my life, I had endured much envy and jealousy from many people but I was truly shocked and on the verge of being hurt when I saw even the parishioners—who should have been sharing and spreading the Lord’s love—judging and speaking ill of someone helping a poor neighbor. However, I immediately practiced Semchigo as if I had heard them say, “We cannot help, but thank you for doing it,” and offered it up. In doing so, I was able to remain joyful.

Even if I was misunderstood by people in the world, my heart remained full, for the Lord was with me. After the elderly man received baptism, but before his eyesight was restored, there were, however, occasional times when some parishioners would help him, although it had been only our family caring for him until then. Some would donate daily necessities, and there were those who brought him ramen. But since he could not eat them, he would tell them, “I cannot eat ramen,” and politely decline.

But afterward, some of the parishioners came to me and criticized him, saying,

“My goodness! If you are poor, you should eat whatever you are given—ramen, jjamppong, anything. How could he be so picky?” I felt so sorry for them as they spoke that way. With a sincere hope that they would be awakened, I offered up a Prayer of Life and gently explained it to them in a way that would not hurt their feelings.

“The elderly man cannot see, he might not be able to cook ramen by himself, or there could be some health-related reason. We do not know the whole story, so we should not speak carelessly like that. Every person has a dignity that deserves respect, and we should honor one another’s dignity. Disregarding someone’s dignity is not something the Lord would want.”

Whether someone is of high status or low, are we not all children of God equally who should respect one another? It pained me deeply to see them so quick to judge—failing to consider the other person’s situation and even criticizing the simple act of giving firewood to the marginalized elderly man, Mr. Bong.

But I told myself, “That is fine, I am doing this because I want to. So what if anyone says otherwise?” As long as I am not ashamed before the Lord who sees right into my heart, that is enough. In fact, I did not want recognition from people or to be noticed by them, so I avoided being seen by going out only at night. However, stacking so many bundles of firewood could not be done at night, so I had no choice but to do it during the day on Sunday... Whenever we do good, the devil always tries to interfere in various ways, so it was clear that this was an attack from the devil meant to trouble me. No matter how good my intentions were, I once again gave them a reason to sin, so it is all my fault.” Rather than feeling anger, I actually felt sorry for them.

I said to myself, “All right, to prevent them from sinning because of me, I will be even more hidden and do everything secretly. I had vowed to let my left hand not know what my right hand does, yet I caused discord among them… Next time, I will carry the firewood little by little at night using a handcart.” With that mindset, I offered everything completely to the Lord, practicing Semchigo as if I had been truly loved.

I offered up a Prayer of Life, asking the Lord to fill the hearts of those who judged and spoke ill of me with His love and love for their neighbors. After stacking all the bundles of firewood, the elderly man exclaimed joyfully, “Oh my, now I have become rich! Since my eyes are open, I can see you, and with rice and firewood, I feel like I have gained the whole world!”

At that moment, Mr. Bong’s expression was as satisfied as a child who had just received everything they ever wanted. “What is the greatest joy one can feel in this world? It is surely the joy that comes from seeing others happy and pleased because of what I have done—even if it means some discomfort for myself—there is no greater joy than that.”

As I smiled warmly, watching the elderly man rejoice, I heard the Lord’s gentle voice say,

“Yes, my little child! Because you are always united with Me, you can find boundless happiness in the sweet love you show your neighbor, even when it causes you discomfort.”

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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