JourneyOnline
In the lead up to Pentecost, Rev David Won Kim reflects on the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am the minister of a very blessed congregation, and we try to follow the Spirit wherever the Spirit leads. Last year a church member named Mrs Ahn was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
In 2009, her family came to Australia to give her son a better education. She and her husband worked hard to settle down and forge better opportunities for their future in this blessed and privileged land.
Rev David Won Kim
When she bought her own business in Dalby about 80 km west of Toowoomba, she was thrilled. She invited me to give a blessing at the grand opening of her restaurant at the shopping centre. It took me over three hours to drive there, which is how far they drive to come to church on Sundays.
However, their joy did not last long. Just a few weeks after opening her restaurant, she felt a weird pain and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her name is Kyung Ok Ahn. When I visited her in hospital I told her, “Mrs Ahn, your name initials are KO, so you can ‘knock out’ anything. You can even KO your husband!” She had a big smile, “Yes, with God’s help I can KO anything and anyone, so God will help me KO this cancer—but I won’t KO my beloved husband!” she laughed.
On the day of her surgery, I visited again with several church members to pray with her. While I closed the intercessory prayer I was moved by the Spirit and encouraged to proclaim, “My child, you are not going to have surgery. You are going to show everyone how great your God is.”
In the evening, her husband called me. “Minister Kim, the doctors made a huge mistake!” he said. I immediately thought she passed away, but he continued, “The doctors misdiagnosed her. It is not a cancer, but a big polyp. She is OK.”
I don’t know how modern medical technology, millions of dollars’ worth of equipment and well-trained doctors made such a mistake, but one thing I know for sure is when we follow the Spirit, we can “KO” all kinds of difficulties and challenges. God turns things around and gives the OK to those who live in faith.
Mrs Ahn’s doctors still wanted her to go through a series of chemotherapy just in case, and after ten rounds of chemotherapy, her doctor was finally convinced she was cancer free and how great her God is.
The Sunday after Easter Mrs Ahn came to church without wearing her hat. She was celebrating how great our God is by showing her growing hair to the church members.
David is the minister at Calvary Korean Uniting Church. Find more grow faith resources by registering at abigyear.net
