Amazing Miracles Do Still Happen!

Christmas miracle
This past Christmas, an amazing thing happened! A miracle! I would say its a HUGE miracle!!!

To give some back story:
My parents got a divorce when I was eight years old.
At the time, it was a pretty big deal, for the main reason that my father was a pastor of a somewhat conservative, Asian church at the time (in America.)

I don't know if we knew any other couple in that church or Asian community that was divorced, but it was pretty rare in an Asian community none-the-less.

So to say,  both my dad and stepmom had previous marriages with children and the divorce that effected both families had a messy and painful process, but at the same time, also very little information was given to me and my sisters growing up in that process.

There were much murmurings in the Korean community at that time, and my sisters and I ended up staying with my mom in the divorce settlement. 

Fast forward about 25 years later...
I was with a friend in Redding, CA I was having some personal prayer time at a house we were staying at.  I felt I heard the Lord tell me to go visit my dad and stepmom and tell them I forgive them for the divorce. I had thought to myself that it wasn't necessary because my dad knew I was making efforts to get to know them and would know that I had forgiven him. Still, Holy Spirit led me to feel that this was more for him than it was for me.

During that time, a wonderful lady who was hosting us, confirmed that word to me and I made the decision to go for a last minute trip to visit my dad and my stepmom.

I took the trip to Southern California and through that trip and an incident at Disneyland, the Lord showed me my dad's desire of wanting to be a good father, but didn't know how. Later that evening, I had told both my dad and my stepmom separately that I forgave them and blessed their marriage and their future. It was well received and I was actually surprised, because previous to this, the talk of the past was always pushed away abruptly and left unaddressed.  I was rejoicing to see goodness coming from this! ^^

A series of interesting events started to happen in my family members in the following 12 months, which I was noting as significant events involving their interaction with either my dad or stepmom in positive healing ways and I kept rejoicing in my heart!

More recently, I have been praying for them to be living in the fullness of God's goodness, grace and calling on their lives. God is a God of full restoration and he doesn't desire anyone to live in any crippling shame of the past.

this past Christmas
My dad had contacted two of my sisters and myself (the daughters who are currently residing int he U.S.) a week before Christmas for a gathering at his house for Dec. 31.

As usual, the phone conversation was with minimal words and very little explanation. Plus, my dad's hearing is not as good as it used to be. It sounded urgent, partly because it wasn't in my dad's nature to call a family meeting where members would need to fly out to see him. He would have actually acted the opposite, in that saying its not necessary. I knew that both my dad and my step mom were in good health, so it wasn't anything to worry about in that sense.

Through a series of short phone conversations with little/no explanation why, and some mix-up in scheduling and reconfirming we ended up at my dad's place for Christmas: my older sister, her husband, their two kids, my sister from Houston and myself met there.

As soon as we arrived, my dad and stepmom ushered me and my sisters to the separate bedroom. We all sat on the ground and my dad and my stepmom were kneeling, bowing and immediately telling us that they were sorry for the pain their actions put us through. They were asking for forgiveness. My stepmom crying and my dad explaining that they asked God to forgive them a thousand times, but never asked the families to forgive them. They had felt this was the right thing to do before the New Year.

My stepmom, just crying and telling us how sorry the pain their actions put us through and my dad who was tearing up, was just a sweet and humbling experience. (If you don't know, for someone of Korean culture to kneel and beg for forgiveness is the lowest position to show someone. A great sign of humbling oneself.)

I felt our hearts melting. I hugged them both and gave both of them hugs telling them I forgive them. To my surprise, I heard my voice telling my stepmom that I love her. I think it was the first time I had spoken that to her. I think it just came out. All of us tearing up and I know this was a healing process for all of us and also a great spiritual release for everyone, including my dad and my stepmom.

This took us completely by surprise, mainly because any talk or confrontation of the past was easily and abruptly dismissed by my dad. There were no past expressions of admission of wrongdoing.
This incident really did shock us sisters! This is a miracle!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!! Woo Hoo!!!

They expressed that they would Skype my youngest sister and mom, who is currently residing overseas to do the same. They also had visited my stepmom's family up north and had done the same.

I'm just rejoicing because it feels like a complete circle of freedom and restoration that is taking place!!! I know that my dad and my stepmom, despite any reactions, has been released of heavy shame and guilt because of their obedience to humble themselves as the Lord asked them to. We all can enter into a new level of freedom and fullness of what God has in store for us in 2017!!!

Some thoughts:
Some say that change takes a long time.
The same would say that healing takes a long time.
...
I would say, it doesn't necessarily have to.
I don't deny that some things take time.
I don't deny that some things can be difficult to overcome.

But I do want to say that things do not have to take unnecessary amounts of time.
Things don't have to be unnecessarily difficult.
But there can also be a cost to a quicker return...

I find that the costs never compares to the outcome of the reward and I never regret moving through difficulties to be transformed and receive the rewards of freedom in Jesus.
 
The question is, what is unnecessary and what is necessary?

If we just move in the areas that God is leading us through (despite fear & pain...), the trust and experiences in God can pierce through the "impossible" circumstances and lead to great joy.

Bless you, whatever circumstances you are in.

Bless you in break-through in the impossible ...[fill in the blank]... in relationships, dreams, families, emotional health, physical health, finances... bless you in the name of Jesus and the God of breakthrough in 2017 in Jesus name, Amen!