A Special Happiness That Came to Our Family

I am a new believer, having received God Elohim less than a year ago. Although my journey of faith has been short, it took only a few months for the happiness God granted to begin filling our family.

One particularly hot day last June, I happened to meet members of the Church of God while I was out with my daughter. They shared with me about the Passover, the festival through which God promises blessings. As a child, I had attended church a few times with my mother, but I had never truly had faith or much interest in religion. Their words felt unfamiliar to me. At the time, I was exhausted from childcare and had lost much of my motivation and joy in daily life. Even so, somewhere deep in my heart, I had a vague desire to try attending church. So I listened. Honestly, I was not certain whether this church was truly a place where I could meet God. When I mentioned it to my husband, he encouraged me to visit and find out for myself.

A few days later, I visited the Church of God with the members. Any lingering worries quickly faded. The church felt far warmer and brighter than I had imagined. As I watched the introductory video and saw members from around the world sharing the same joy, my curiosity about the church grew. After studying the Bible further that day, I received the blessing of new life together with my child. A quiet happiness filled my heart as I wondered, Could I truly receive salvation too?

With the simple desire to learn little by little, I began my life of faith at the Church of God. Since I did not know how to believe in God properly, I decided to put into practice, step by step, whatever I learned from the Bible. When I heard that keeping the Sabbath brings blessings, I immediately began observing the Sabbath.

As I continued studying the Bible, I was amazed by the precise fulfillment of its prophecies. Learning about Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, who appeared according to prophecy, felt both reasonable and convincing. About three months later, I began participating in a new member education program, which became a turning point in my faith. As I learned the teachings step by step, the words I had once understood only with my mind began to sink deeply into my heart. I came to believe with certainty that Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother are truly God. As my understanding grew clearer, a quiet passion began to stir within me. I wanted to have strong faith like the members who had guided me, and I longed to challenge myself to share the truth as well. As I practiced presenting the truth aloud, I gained deeper insight, and my faith in Father and Mother became even more firmly rooted.

Surrounded by the abundant love of Heavenly Father and Mother and the members, I came to experience true happiness in Zion. In the midst of that love, I made a quiet resolution to change, to become gentle and considerate like the members around me. Holding on to the Thirteen Teachings of Mother and the words, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances,” as my guide, I began striving to practice them first in my own home. When small conflicts arose between my husband and me, I tried to respond differently than before. Instead of stubbornly insisting on my own way, I took a step back, calmed my heart, and chose patience. I worked to break my habit of speaking impulsively and made a conscious effort to use positive and gracious words. Whenever my temper flared or I found it difficult to put the teachings into practice, I turned to sermons. As I listened, my heart gradually settled, and I gained strength to obey God’s word. As my expression brightened and my attitude toward my husband became gentler, the atmosphere in our home began to change as well. Our home felt lighter and warmer, and I could sense that my husband noticed and appreciated the difference.

I had only tried to practice what I had learned in Zion, yet God poured out abundant blessings upon the small steps I took. The greatest change I witnessed was in my three-year-old daughter. She had once been so anxious about being separated from me that she constantly clung to my side. She would hardly even go to her father. In the early days of attending church, she held onto me so tightly that her feet rarely touched the ground, and I often had to study God’s word while carrying her in my arms. Yet within just two or three months in Zion, she began to find stability and peace. She grew comfortable with the members, sometimes playing apart from me, and during worship she would sit quietly by my side. She even came to prefer the New Songs of Zion over children’s songs. I played them for her every day, and though she could not yet understand their meaning, she memorized the melodies simply by listening and began singing them on her own. Watching her transformation, I could not help but feel that God was truly blessing our family.

The change in my daughter soon led to even greater blessings. My mother-in-law was astonished to see how much her once-sensitive granddaughter had changed. Moved by the difference, she expressed a desire to visit the church I was attending. She came to Zion on the Sabbath, gladly received the promise of salvation, and now observes the regulations each week with joy, sharing grace with the members. She even encouraged my husband, her son, saying, “It’s a good church. You should try attending.”

After my mother-in-law came into God’s embrace, my longing for my husband to receive blessings in Zion grew even stronger. I had often gently invited him, explaining that our church worships reverently and follows the Bible, but he would wave his hand dismissively. Even so, whenever I practiced presenting the truth beside him, he would quietly listen, and at times he showed interest in the Truth Books.

Perhaps, just as little strokes fell great oaks, God’s grace was slowly working on his heart. For months, I prayed earnestly and continued inviting him. At last, his heart opened, and he agreed to visit the church on the last day of December. The day before, during Third-Day worship, our daughter insisted that he come along. Half-reluctantly, he stepped into Zion. There, he accepted the truth and was born again as a child of God. That day, we worshiped together as a family, and our daughter was overjoyed to be at church with her father. Watching my husband gently remind her, “You must not talk during worship,” and hearing her reply, “Daddy, pray,” I could not help but smile. My heart overflowed with gratitude that God had called our entire family into His loving embrace.

My husband shared that he appreciated how worship is conducted reverently and centered on the words of the Bible. I sincerely hope that, in time, he will come to understand God even more deeply. For that to happen, I realized that I must first continue obeying the teachings of Father and Mother faithfully within our home. Our daughter is already playing a precious role in guiding her father toward blessings. When we sit down at the table, she says, “Seo-a is praying. Daddy, you should pray too,” and the three of us join together in prayer before our meal. Before bedtime, she gently insists, “Mom, go hug Dad and say, ‘I love you,’” and because of her, we often exchange words of love as a family. As our home grows warmer and more filled with love, I believe our entire family will receive even greater blessings from God.

I am not someone who cries easily. Yet these days, whenever I hear a certain New Song, tears begin to fall before I even realize it.

“God Ahnsahnghong my Father, I pray to You with a thankful mind. . . . To open the way of life, You suffered for thirty-seven years. By Your great and holy love, I am redeemed from sin and death.”

Whenever I listen to that New Song, I recall the scenes portraying Father’s sacrifice—His earnest desire to share the Passover with each soul. As those moments come to mind, my heart grows resolute. I, too, want to walk the gospel path that Father and Mother have walked and share the good news of salvation with many. Recently, I followed the members of Zion as they went out to preach. Quietly, I wondered, Will I ever be able to share the truth with such courage? Though I am still inexperienced, I trust that in God, who gives strength to those who believe and ask, nothing is impossible. After all, I once knew nothing about the Bible or about God, yet He patiently led me into the truth. In the same way, I believe there are still members of our heavenly family who have not yet heard His voice. Step by step, I hope to overcome my fears and share the truth with those around me. I pray to become a gospel worker who is pleasing in God’s sight and to find our heavenly family who will share in the happiness my own family has found in Him. Until that day comes, I will continue forward with determination.