"Called and Carried" (Day 7)

Verse of the Day
“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20

My journey of transformation began in a pastor’s home. I was surrounded by faith, but God felt distant. As a child, I carried anger and questions, especially in my relationship with my father. I wondered if God could really change a heart.

When I was eight, I heard the testimony of a North Korean girl who suffered for her faith. That night, something broke open in me. I saw my sin clearly and wept in repentance and joy. For the first time, faith became personal. Around that same time, I saw my father begin to change. He became gentler. I learned that no one is beyond God’s grace.

God continued to shape me through both calling and failure. As a young leader, I hurt others by being controlling. Later in ministry, I wounded people with harsh words. Each time, God led me to repentance and taught me humility, compassion, and the importance of listening.

Marriage and ministry brought me to the United States and then to rural Maine. Raising children while sensing a call to ministry was not easy. There were seasons when I questioned God’s timing. One day, in tears, I asked, “Why call me if I am only at home?” God’s quiet answer changed me: “I have never not called you.” I began to see every small act—every diaper, every prayer—as sacred.

In 2022, I began serving as a pastor. Soon after, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. That season deepened my compassion for those who suffer. Through illness, church struggles, and uncertainty, God has been my steady companion.

Through it all, the hymn “In the Garden” has carried me. It reminds me that the Lord walks and talks with me in both sorrow and joy. My transformation has not been dramatic or quick. It has been a lifelong journey of walking with Him, step by step. – YoungEun “Joyce” Kang

Thought for the Day
Where might God be walking with you right now—in a hidden, ordinary, or difficult place? Today, name one ordinary task or struggle. Pause and invite the Lord to walk with you in that moment.

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