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The Way of Love for the Lord
Chapter 52. Ursula started a new life with her husband. (September 15, 1982)
Four weeks after the retreat in Seoul ended, Ursula visited my beauty parlor without prior notice. She came up to me furtively as if she was abashed at something. Then, patting me on the shoulder, she said, “Julia! Thanks to you, I feel like my newlywed life has just begun for the first time after 16 years of marriage. Thank you!” As soon as I heard her say, it occurred to me that all had gone well with her. I gave my gratitude to the Lord. She continued to speak even without paying attention to the customers in the beauty parlor. “After the retreat ended, I came home and began to do what you told me to. I almost stopped halfway, for I, by nature, am not good at fawning over people and was too shy to do what I had never done before. As it was too much for me, I was thinking of quitting. That was when your words rang in my ear very clearly - 'please do not consider what you heard from me only as Julia’s words but the will of the Lord and follow it, okay?' Therefore, keeping my courage up again, I did it. Then my husband who was so startled sprang to his feet and said to me, ‘Who on earth are you? Where have you been? Are you really my wife?’ He was delirious with joy. From the next day onwards he began to come home twice a day.” According to her, he was a president running a small company. Even so, as he was anxious to see his wife, he began to stop by home once in the daytime and came home from work earlier before 6:00 p.m.. He even had his employees make haste to leave the workplace ahead of him so that he might return home after buying some presents for his wife. Before then, he would come home minutes before midnight or after the curfew had ended. Therefore, it was like a miracle that he changed a lot to the extent of coming home from work before 6:00 p.m. That was not all! His behavior took a 180 degree change even to the point of dropping by home once during the daytime because he was so anxious to see his wife that he could not wait until his working hours were over. She had never felt such warm love since she was married. Before, she only had felt like she was forced to live her marriage life. Now she was beginning to enjoy her sweet life just like a newlywed for the first time after 16 years of marriage. Then, how could I not thank the Lord? “Congratulations on enjoying a sweet life like a newlywed!” “All this was possible thanks to you.” “No, I will tell you for sure. It is not because of me but thanks to the good Lord. If it had not been for the love of the Lord, it could not have been possible. I was used just for a little while as an instrument. So, give your thanks only to our good Lord. Okay?” “Yes, I will, but the Lord did it for me through you. So, isn’t it natural that I give my thanks to you as well?” “No, never! I just did what I was supposed to do. I was only an instrument. So, give praise, thanks and glory only to the Lord. Manage well the graces you received. Try ceaselessly not to lose this honeymoon-like phase throughout the rest of your life, so that the Lord may be pleased with you. Living a happy life by forming a holy family gives joy to the Lord. Do you understand?” “Of course, I see.” We gave glory to the Lord, embracing each other in joy. At that time, I heard a silent, kind voice of the Lord. “My little soul whom I love! Giving warm love to poor neighbors with a loving heart while looking after them is like giving love to Me. Your loving words filled with awe are sweeter than any other hymn composed to praise My Glory. They give incomparable joy to Me.”
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