Lessons of Faith

You know those times when you’re so caught up in the moment that you tend to forget about everything else? Life has a way of catching us off guard, leaving us unprepared and without a solution. We become stressed and overwhelmed because we don’t know how to fix the situation or the problems that will be caused if it isn’t solved. It’s during these times when we should live by faith, trusting God and relying on His provision, yet when we are absorbed in our world it’s easy to dismiss the idea of seeking His help. 

I experienced one such incident while in Haman with a group of friends. (remember the Nakwha Nori Festival?)

So what exactly happened? Well, after leaving an extremely crowded event, our group of four girls tried to find a way to reach our hotel, which was about an hour’s drive away. Our initial plan originally was to grab a taxi and split the fare—as the buses and trains had stopped running. This was pretty reasonable since in Korea, you can call a taxi from virtually anywhere, even in rural areas. However, due to the massive size of the vent, and the heavy traffic our plan fell through.

We waited for traffic to die down in hopes we could find a taxi. So there we were, sitting on the side of the ride as we watched the unending line of cars slowly dwindle and empty out by 10pm. By this point, we’d ended up at an intersection trying to figure out where to go, or just continue to wait. It felt surreal how quickly it went from one moment being jam-packed to the next empty and quiet.

With the now diminished traffic, we continued to try to call a taxi to any nearby town, but there were none in the area. The road was now quiet, leaving us few options, and we weren’t the only ones stuck in this predicament. There were Korean couples on the road in the same situation as us, their luggage beside them as they tried to catch a taxi going in the same direction–and as we later discovered, the same town.

Wouldn’t this have been a good time to pause and pray? To be honest, it never even crossed my mind. The stress of trying to find a way to our destination, and the realization that there was nothing I could do would change anything was at the forefront of my mind. I didn’t want to spend the night stranded on the roadside or sleep in the train station I kept myself stuck in the mindset that whatever was meant to happen would happen, and all I could do was continue with what I was doing—pressing “call taxi” over and over again.

 While trying to persistently request a taxi, a couple passed by us to get to their car, but then the wife came back and asked what direction we were going. We mentioned a nearby town we were trying to get to for a better chance to catch a taxi to our final destination. It turned out they were staying in the same town we were, which was an hour away, and they offered to drive us over. She was a foreigner herself and shared she also knew the difficulties foreigners sometimes faced in getting around.

All four of us piled into the back of their small rental car, and as we started out, I was suddenly struck by the realization that this was God’s provision. He provided a safe way for us to get back, even though I hadn’t even had the thought to ask Him for help. Did I believe He could provide help for us? Of course. But did I even think to stop and pause long enough to request it? No. I was too busy and lost in my head. Preoccupied with my thoughts. Yet, despite my misplaced priorities, He cared enough to meet the unspoken prayer

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But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 John 14

 the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Romans 8:26

He continues to care for us even when we stumble and lose our way. When we don’t know how or what to pray. At times, God’s provision may not come right away, and other times it comes immediately. However, I knew that in this instance it was something he had brought to fruition. And it is something I was grateful to learn from.