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Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you’re well. In the summer 2022, when my sister and brother-in-law were in town, we took family photos by our smart phones. And I was shocked to see myself on those pictures. As I seldom took selfie, I didn’t know how I would look recently. Of course, I looked at the mirror daily, but it was hard to notice some changes in me. But from those photos, I found my face looked quite different. It was swollen and I looked fat. The next year, when my family got together, we also took family photos. Again, I noticed my face looked quite different and even shaped differently. I was very upset and sad. Not only face, but I noticed my ankles were swollen. Compared with my time when working in Singapore, I lost a couple of kg and couldn’t stomach as much as I did before. Yet I looked fat and my face, feet and ankles were swollen. And I thought it was due to my aging. Then in May 2023, I texted my friend in Singapore in our daily exchange of messages, “I’m fat and old.” She wrote back to me a long text message. Interestingly enough, one sentence in it was in bold, “U not fat and old.” And she wrote 3 John 1:2. When I read “U not fat and old,” highlighted in bold, I simply felt the Father encouraging me through my friend. And I replied back to her and said that it’s interesting that she wrote that sentence in bold in her text. To my amazement, she replied, “Hahaha strange ah. I didn’t know I write it in bold as I didn’t wear my long sighted glasses when I sent this message. Wonder how it happened. I think the Lord wants to encourage and motivate you.” It was exactly how I felt, and my friend didn’t even realize it was written in bold when sent. I couldn’t thank the kindness of the Father enough, and His sense of humor made me smile as always. I still keep the screen copy of the texts that my friend and I exchanged on that day, to remember His goodness. Later in 2024, when the Father gave me a new name, Julia or Julie, I searched the meaning of the name. In addition to the meaning of “The Highest God,” I learned that it means “youth” in Italian. So I felt the Father encouraging me again through this new name, as if He were saying, “Babe, U not fat and old.” Then, in September 2024, I started to go to an oriental medicine clinic that my hairdresser introduced, when I had digestion problems for weeks. In my 30’s, I already knew what foods are good and bad for me, according to the constitution in oriental medicine that the late Christian doctor, one of the elders in my Seoul church, founded in 1960’s. But, I didn’t strictly follow the diet according to that. When my hairdresser introduced the oriental medicine clinic near my place earlier last year, I still thought to myself that I would rather rely on supernatural healing. But one day, I thought if healing through the oriental medicine had not been in His will, why would He have given the late elder doctor all the wisdom? And there are many Christian oriental medicine doctors who followed him and have been healing the sick. Many of them must be in His will, and supernatural healing is not the only way He would use. I also came to think of of the verse, “When Jesus heard it, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’ (Mark 2:17)” Our Lord acknowledged the needs of the sick’s going to a doctor. (I think, though, in that era, medicines must have been herbs, not chemical.) Anyway, I had peace in going to the new Christian doctor in the oriental medicine clinic that my hairdresser introduced to me last September. Then, in my second visit, he recommended that I would eat chicken at least for one meal a day. I knew chicken are good for me, but I didn’t eat them often for some reasons. Listening to his advice, I started to have chicken at least for one meal a day. To my amazement, I found my stomach felt so comfortable. Coupled with the strict diet according to my constitution in the oriental medicine, acupuncture treatment helped me to lose about 5Kg in a month and I still maintained the weight till now, not gaining it back. And I learned from the doctor that the weight loss was mainly from water, as the circulation in my body was bad before. Now the acupuncture treatment together with the right diet for me helped detox, and circulation got back to normal. And I found out my face, feet and ankles were no more swollen. I used to think I got fat and my ankles were swollen, because I was aging. But it was due to bad health, circulation issue. I was thankful daily, and even now. The Father is so kind. Not only He encouraged me, saying “U not fat and old,” and giving me a new name, but He healed me: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2) I was even more thankful to Him for my sister and brother-in-law. When they were in town last winter, they also went to my doctor and learned about their constitutions. Both of them got better now, even after going back to America, keeping on a right diet. The Father’s kindness is endless and sometimes unpredictable and fun. One night, during a shower, He gave me an impression in my heart. It was a word of encouragement, which I would not share in details for now. And I said to Him, “Father, is that You? If it’s You, would You please confirm it?” Somehow, I felt He would confirm it through “shorts” in YouTube. And I didn’t write down anything in my notes in iCloud regarding it, till confirmed, as I didn’t want YouTube would suggest any video from algorithm. Soon enough, to my amazement, I came to see a short video in YouTube that confirmed the Father’s word of encouragement. I wouldn’t forget His kindness. Friend, I do not know whether you’ve ever been discouraged, thinking you’re fat and old. But I believe He would say to you, “U not fat and old,” if you were upset. :) Friend, I’m sure you and I have every reason to thank Him daily. Watching a video in YouTube, I started to write down what I’m thankful for. It’s not kind of duty to write it down. But, I usually write down in my journal my dialogue to Him, “Father, I thank You for this and that.” He is such a good Father. Sometimes, by His sense of humor, He would make us laugh. Other times, He would make us in tears. No matter how, we must say, “God is good all the time!” Have a bliss! Julie :) Bless the Lord, O my soul; Comments are closed.
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