The Experience of Abraham (Part 1) - Dad's Beginnings

Today is one of those days.. One of those days you want to write an entry, but you have no topic to write about. I have been sick these past few days with Texan germs, and have not been able to do anything worth writing. In my past entries, I have mentioned that some tangent topics were a "story for next time." Well, this is the perfect time!

I guess I will begin an unofficial series by the name "The Experience of Abraham". In this series, I will basically story-tell my 20 years of life as a Christian. Just to give you a few samples, it will take place in three countries: Korea, Chile, and the USA. Now I caught your attention! What in the world was I doing in Chile? Well, read on.

Oh, wait, I have to explain why I'm calling this "The Experience of Abraham". I'm calling it this because in order for me to tell you my testimony, I have to start with my dad's testimony. And to be honest, my dad's story is definitely more interesting than my own. Anyhow, I see my dad as Abraham and myself an Isaac, because my dad went through a lot of suffering and trials so that I can know and experience Christ in such a full way. Like Isaac, I very much grew up in an environment where experiencing Christ as life was very normal and very easy to do. This isn't any of my natural abilities, but simply my parents living a life of fully trusting in the Lord. Okay! Enough prelude-ing. Let's get into it:

My dad was born in Korea on May 28, sometime in the fifties (I won't mention the specific year for privacy). I never really heard what he did when he was very young, except get injured a lot, like me. Anyhow, at the age of 18, my dad packed up his bags and traveled to the mountains to find the meaning of his life. He ran into a monk eventually somewhere deep in the mountains, and asked him what the meaning of life was. To his dismay, the monk was not able to answer his question. Frustrated that the monk with all his beliefs and meditation could not answer his question, my dad gave up of any thought of believing in Supreme Beings.

My dad entered the prestigious Seoul University as a agricultural chemistry major. During his tenure in college, he participated in many strikes and demonstrations. He truly had a heart for people, and Korea at that time had a strong imbalance of power between the government and the people. He thought that the meaning of his life was to help out the people live better, so he participated in all these activities. The Korean government feared such a movement by such radical college students and in fear of losing the battle, "enlisted" many of them to the Army. On one hand they were enlisting them, but it was a secret plot to do away with these rebellious college students. They would eventually kill these ones. My dad was enlisted with the rest of ones, and taken away. By God's sovereignty, however, my dad was able to get out of it in six months.. by failing a physical. This is funny. It is mandatory for all Korean men to serve for two years in the army -- many relationships are built and stories made during that time. My dad never really got that experience, and still today, he has nothing to share when the conversation turns to army stories. Anyhow, however funny it may be, it was all God's sovereignty. How do you fail a physical? I don't know. But thanks to that, my dad was spared of his life. Many of his comrades were killed afterwards, and the few that survived ended up becoming those in high positions in the political world. My dad still recognizes them.

We'll call it a day for now.. Stay tuned!

Part Two