Gratitude That Grows Deeper Day by Day

I had been running a 24-hour convenience store with my husband when, two years ago, I underwent knee surgery. With hundreds of customers visiting every day, working while limping became an unbearable burden. It was such a painful and exhausting time that I considered it the darkest period of my life. In the midst of that suffering, I found myself longing to seek God once again.

About twenty years ago, I had started my life of faith at a Protestant church by chance. However, as I struggled to balance work with raising two young sons, I gradually drifted away. Though it felt almost shameless to seek God again after so long, I assumed that if I returned to faith, I would naturally go back to that same church. But as I looked into it again, I was shocked. News of various scandals and corruption filled the headlines. While I felt relieved to have avoided a dangerous path, I was also left feeling empty and lost.

I wondered, “Where can I find God? And if He isn't there, where should I go?”

From then on, whenever I met someone with a religious background, I would ask about their faith—whom they believed in and what they practiced. Yet nothing truly resonated with me. The Church of God, however, was different. The moment I heard about the Passover, I felt a strong desire to learn more. As I studied the Bible with the members, the consistent message of God’s commandments and blessings—woven seamlessly from the Old Testament to the New Testament—struck a chord deep within me. It became undeniably clear: the truth I had been searching for was right here, and this was where the true God dwelt.

Suddenly, it clicked—I remembered my sister-in-law had once mentioned attending the Church of God. When I contacted her, she was overjoyed—as if the blessing were her own—and came all the way from Suwon to Daejeon without hesitation. With her heartfelt encouragement, I received the blessing of a new life and took my first steps as a member of the Church of God.

On the day of my first worship service, I looked around the temple in awe. I could hardly believe that out of the 8 billion people in the world, I was now among the multitude in Zion praising God Elohim. My resolve grew even stronger—having found the true God, I would live the rest of my life in obedience to His word. God had led someone like me—who had committed so many sins both in heaven and on this earth—to the path of truth. How could I not follow Him with all my heart?

At first, I simply tried to follow everything the members did in Zion. I faithfully kept the Sabbath and Third-Day worship services and participated in cleaning the temple. Learning how to receive God’s blessings and putting them into practice right away brought me great joy. It truly made me feel like a child of God.

More than anything, I came to love God’s words. The Bible, which moved me at times and comforted me at others, were as sweet as honey. I eagerly asked the members to teach me more. My endless questions led to one or two hours of study each day, and I spent the rest of my time listening to sermons repeatedly. Whenever a question arose, I would write it down, only to find the answer waiting for me in the next sermon. It felt as though God was continually awakening my soul so that I could gain firm confidence in the truth.

I was deeply amazed to learn that, according to the prophecy, Heavenly Father had come to South Korea—the ends of the earth in the East. To my astonishment, the place where Father was born was a neighborhood right next to my mother’s family home. I had always imagined Christ would appear in some distant land far away, so realizing He had come so near felt almost like a dream.

On the other hand, it took time for me to fully embrace my faith in God the Mother. While I understood it intellectually, I found it difficult to actually voice the words, “I love You, Mother.” So I prayed earnestly, asking God to help me truly understand who Heavenly Mother is and to realize Her love. The answer came sooner than I expected. Through sermons and videos revealing Mother’s sacrifice, my soul began to awaken. Before long, my heart burned with such longing that I wanted to go and see Mother right away.

I could not keep this joyful news to myself. The first people I shared the truth with were my mother and my older sister. As I expressed my sincere desire for them to find peace in God’s arms, both of them came to accept the truth. It filled my heart with deep joy to offer such a precious gift to my mother and sister, who had endured so many hardships throughout their lives. Not stopping there, I wrote down the names of all my family members in a notebook and prayed with my sister-in-law every single day, hoping that each of them would receive the blessing of salvation.

More than anyone else, I longed for my husband and two sons to be saved. However, when I tried to share the truth with them, they listened only out of consideration for me, showing little interest. My younger son even seemed concerned, seeing how suddenly devoted I had become to my faith. It was then I realized that if I wanted them to recognize the value of the truth, I first needed to become someone who reflected that truth in my own life.

From then on, I began practicing “Words of Mother’s Love” that I learned in Zion. In the past, due to my impatient nature, I often became irritated with my husband and sons, who are more easygoing than I am. But saying to myself, “Mother told me not to be that way,” I made a conscious effort to speak only with love and consideration. When my husband returned from work, I would gently pat him on the back and thank him for his hard work. I was careful to avoid any words or actions that might hurt his feelings. As I reflected on the Teachings of Mother and remembered the love I had received from the members in Zion, this change became easier than I had expected. As my husband sensed the difference in me, his tone softened, and he began to respond with greater warmth.

Around that time, the “Words of Mother’s Love Seminar” was held at a nearby Zion. I attended with my husband and my younger son, and we shared a truly meaningful time. With their hearts wide open, both of them were reborn as children of God that day. I cannot fully express how happy I was to see such a change in my husband, who had previously listened to the truth without a single word of response. After his baptism, my son asked, “Does this mean I can go to heaven now?” As a mother and a wife, I had often felt regret over my past shortcomings. Yet in that moment, it felt as though God was comforting my heart and repaying it with heavenly blessings. Because of the abundant grace I have received, I find that I cannot stop praying for my family.

Recently, while speaking with a senior member who has kept his faith for 40 years, I learned that she prays for every member of Zion by name every dawn. Thinking of the years of labor and dedication from members like my sister-in-law and others who have kept their faith for decades, I am deeply moved. Having come to Zion later in life after wandering through the world, I feel a deep desire to devote myself two or three times more to the work of the gospel than those who have labored faithfully before me.

If I had not met God, I would likely still be living in constant anxiety over my husband and children’s future. But now, as I rest in God’s embrace, my days are filled with countless reasons to be thankful. The gratitude journal I write in every night before going to bed has already filled more than four volumes. Now, I have only one hope—to enter the glorious kingdom of heaven together with my family. Although I sometimes regret not finding Zion earlier and serving more in my youth, I am simply grateful that I returned to my Heavenly Parents at the perfect time according to Their plan of redemption.

These days, I never fail to pray that I will not lose the joy, gratitude, and passion I felt when I first received the truth. I am careful not to let my heart grow cold or to forget the weight of the blessings I have been given. I want to spend the rest of my life repaying Father and Mother by serving with a fervent heart, sharing grace through words of love, and searching for our lost brothers and sisters. Until the day comes when all people experience the truth and the joy of salvation, I will continue to run forward, tirelessly sharing the gospel.