💌 476. The man whom I shared a cab with ran away suddenly…

After visiting my mother-in-law’s house in Gwangju, I was going to take the last bus back home. The bus was scheduled to depart at 10 P.M. but it left five minutes before I arrived. So, I took a shared taxi to Naju in Baegundong district, Gwangju. At that moment, a man in the back seat suddenly dashed out as soon as I got in. I unconsciously glanced at him, thinking, “What urgent matter did he have that he went out as if running away?”

Then, he turned out to be none other than Gil-young, my maternal younger cousin, who had borrowed money from me! Surprised, I ran out, calling, “Gil-young! Gil-young!” Then, he was at a loss on what to do and hesitated. I quickly chased after him and caught up with him, not because I was hoping to get my money back but because I was worried about him from whom I had not heard for a long time. To my cousin, who seemed about to shake me off forcefully, I said, “Gil-young! Do not run away but get in the car! I have repaid all the money. It is okay. 

Come quickly! As for the money, repay it just when you can. I understand that you do not have money, so there is nothing you can do. Do not worry and let us go together by taxi!” Then, he began to shed tears. Before, he had pleaded with me to lend him also dollar currency, saying he would repay it the following day. But the next day, there had been no news from him. So I visited his cosmetics agency, only to find that the shutters had been already firmly closed and locked. He had slipped away without a trace like that.

The debt acquired in dollars from a customer who was a loan shark had been accruing high interest every day, so I had besieged myself to try and repay the loan for a staggering 6 months. I had been going door to door to borrow money to repay the dollar debt. From my cousin’s perspective, several months later, he unexpectedly encountered me after going into hiding. This was why he was so surprised as to run away.

In fact, he had caused many problems within his family. He had been in and out of prison several times and he had even used harsh words and violence against his own mother. Amongst my relatives, there was not a single one who had not been involved with him concerning money. He had even made them sell their land by employing every means and method so as to borrow their money.

However, until then, I had not known the details. And since he was a newborn baby, he had been so adorable to me that he still remained adorable. I brought him to my home, fed him with various food and we ended up sitting up all night, even unaware that dawn was breaking. He, who had been living on borrowed money from various people and by engaging in fraud, eventually went bankrupt. Consequently, he had been enduring difficult times, was being beaten and cursed at.

As I heard from him, my heart ached so much. Though I had been through a lot to borrow money for him, I offered it up with Semchigo as if I had been loved by God. I comforted him with kind words and embraced him as he was going through difficult times. As I told him good stories and about Jesus, he said to me.

“Sis, when I am with you, time flies by without me noticing it. So much fun being with you. Sis, ever since I was young, there has been no one but you. From now on, I will live well. So, please do not worry. Your faith is truly wonderful. If I go to church, I will practice faith better than you. If I start believing in Jesus, I will believe in Him even better than you. Sis, thank you. I really appreciate it. Can I come to see you often? I like you the most. There is no one else in the world but you, sis.”

"Yeah, let us work hard from now on and live well, okay? "Got it, Sis. "I cannot be happier than when I am with you." Back then, I had borrowed 4.6 million won from my eldest aunt and the Credit Union. I had taken over a beauty salon with 3.72 million won and spent the remaining money on the remodeling and preparation of the salon. I had opened my beauty salon this way.

I had been going through very difficult days, dealing with the principal and interest of the money that I had borrowed from my eldest aunt and the Credit Union. I also had to pay my mother-in-law's debts as well as this younger cousin Gil-young's debt, covering the expenses of my household and the beauty salon at the same time. However, I never showed any signs of difficulty to him. Even if I demanded money by grilling him and getting angry with him, could the money emerge from anywhere?

How hard it must have been for him, my cousin, who had been running away because he could not repay the money! As I put myself in his shoes, I felt so sorry for him. Thinking of Jesus, who laid down His life only hoping for the repentance of sinners, I offered up the money with Semchigo as if I had not had the money from the beginning. I simply prayed for my cousin to repent and return to the Lord as soon as possible.

Even though I endured many hardships for him, the Lord granted me good health, allowing me to earn a living while experiencing His love. I am able to breathe and live, sparing my mother the deep sorrow of my death before hers. With infinite gratitude, I say, "My beloved Jesus, thank You."

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👉🏻

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