Grounded in faith, trusting in God
By Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
One of my reflective practices is to write a letter to my future self, expressing my hopes and prayers for myself. This practice has proven to be beneficial to me in many ways. Not only does it encourage and support me, but it also helps me view my situations and myself from a more objective perspective. When I write this letter, I imagine myself as one of my friends or neighbors and pour out my thoughts, encouragement, affirmation, and suggestions. Over time, I have accumulated many letters from myself that not only inspire and uplift me, but also provide moments of chuckles as the situations often turn out differently than I had anticipated.
Recently, I came across a letter I had written to myself about 20 years ago while on a plane during my very first trip to the U.S. I could feel the nervousness and anxiety I had experienced about flying into a place with an uncertain future. I remember vividly how my thoughts were wandering around without any rational connections, and I couldn’t sleep for the entire 10-hour flight. In the letter, I talked to myself in Korean, acknowledging my worries about my baggage, how to contact John if he wasn’t there to receive me, and the stress about John’s seminary acceptance and possibly moving in the near future. However, I reminded myself that God, who had led me on this journey of living in a foreign country, was already there to provide everything I needed. I also expressed my hope that I would get a chance for further education in the U.S. before returning to Korea.
Although the letter doesn’t apply exactly to my current situation, its message of grounding myself in faith and trusting in God still resonates deeply with me.
As I write this article, I am filled with both excitement and nervousness about my family’s upcoming visit in June. My mother, three older sisters, and one brother-in-law will be visiting me for the first time, and I am grateful for this opportunity. However, I also feel anxious about the logistics of their trip, particularly since my ordination service will take place in Meridian, Idaho on Sunday, June 11th. They will arrive in Seattle on June 5th, and John and I are prayerfully and carefully planning the trip with my family from Korea to Idaho and back to Seattle. After my family’s visit, our Jr. High campers will leave for camp, and in July, we will have Vacation Bible School for our children from July 10th-14th, from 10 am-3 pm. Additionally, our high schoolers will attend Asian Camp from July 23rd-28th. These are just a few of the events scheduled for my family and church.
I am praying for strength, guidance, and wisdom to make this spring and summer amazing. I already know that God will continue to deepen my faith and trust during this time, even when things sometimes turn out differently than what I anticipated. As I continue to write letters to myself, I hope to be able to look back on them with fondness and gratitude for how God has guided me through my journey. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I am also excited to share that the Church School in May will be memorizing the Lord’s Prayer, so I ask the families to support our children to memorize the Lord’s Prayer at home as well.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our Church School teachers, BYG leadership, and the entire congregation for your dedication and commitment to our ministries. May will be an amazing month, and I look forward to experiencing it together.
Also read:
“Coram Deo: In the presence of God“
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park serves as the Associate Pastor of Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church.
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