A Child of God

Joyce Choi

Blog #4

6/29/18

A Child of God

As we’ve been learning about the importance of story this week, I’ve really been reflecting on mine this past week: who I am, how I am who I am, and why I came to be at this internship this summer.

During this reflection, I’ve come to a realization of a couple of things.

The past three years of my life is where the “evolution” of myself started. Prior to this so called evolution, I was born and raised as a Christian where I was very sheltered. All in all, I had a pretty average and almost boring but content life. My true journey began when I chose the church that I am currently attending right now, the Korean Church of Atlanta United Methodist Church.

This was the first time I chose a church because I felt like God was calling me to serve in a ministry, and the first time I attended a church without my family. This was also the first time I chose to stay at a church, despite encountering difficulties with community and fighting the initial urge to quit and leave. After all, it’s always easier to quit and leave.

However, for some reason, I prayed for a long time, and at the end, God told me to stay. So I obeyed (for once) and stayed.

Through this church, I’ve experienced an entirely different relationship with Christ, one of sadness and anger transforming into healing and renewal that I’ve never gone through before in my life. I’ve experienced serving in various areas of ministry that I never imagined myself to be in and have found a true connection with people of all ages, especially the youth and college ministry.

I also know that I am here in DC this summer for a reason; it’s a period of discernment for me, discernment with what area of social justice I want to pursue and also a discernment of my beliefs and values.

Before this internship, I identified as economically liberal but socially conservative. I was socially conservative because typically, with Asian American culture, people tend to lean as more traditionalist, and I grew up in this kind of environment. This summer has opened my eyes to different ideas of liberalism that I’m still processing and deciding what I am a believer in. More specifically, I am deciding how to interpret Scripture and then choosing what I am called to believe through God’s words, not that of the world’s.

I am still in this period of discernment, which I think is a good thing because good things come with time.

All I know for sure is that this summer, something is happening, something important. I’m excited to see what all God is wanting to teach me and hope and pray that I am wise enough to receive all of that with an open heart, an open mind, and an open soul.

These events that have been happening the past three years have brought me to the single most important value resonating in my life: the love of Christ.

I am a true believer that God can turn the most negative and evil things of this worldly and secular life, into something beautiful of His creation. And I’ve learned to know that I am a child of God, not a child of those around me. I am a creation of the love of Christ, and I want to serve others with the love of Christ that I have been blessed enough to receive.