The following are other examples of beauty that TCC parishioners have identified:
The Beauty of Praising God
I used to volunteer at a service center for youngsters with disabilities for a few years. As a volunteer, I mainly played with children or helped with chores. And then we did praise and worship together. Many of them were hardly able to raise their hands and they were out of tune.
At first, I could not focus on singing, but soon I was used to singing with them. In fact, I saw beauty in them and I felt the beauty from them when they praised to God. The love and beauty of God was with them, was in them, and over them, and for them. That time reminded me of a passage of the Bible: “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7).
When I read those words, I reflected upon myself: Am I singing with my whole being — my body, my mind, and my heart — to God? Praising God is the most beautiful work for me. When praising God, I can encounter God, who is the source of love, life, energy, and beauty. A song, “I will come and bow down,” led me to give myself to God and I was assured that God received me as I am. Since then, I called Jesus my Lord and my song. — Wonjung Choo
Reminiscences of My Mother
The most beautiful person I’ve ever met in my life is my mother, who died from dementia 10 years ago. When I gave birth to Chris, my third child, she came to the United States to take care of me, my three children and husband without knowing she had dementia. Korea, my mother country, has a postnatal care tradition where the grandmother takes care of the mother for three weeks after a delivery because after giving birth, all the muscles have been opened and stretched. Until the muscles return to normal, the mother does not have any contact with water for three weeks. Instead, she is supposed to sweat out all the discharge and rest until recovery.
My mother was very dedicated. From the day I gave birth to my first child, Philip, then my second, Eunice, and Chris, my mother came to the United States every single time. I would like to say that my Mom was the most beautiful person in my life. She left reminiscences of beautiful love, sacrifice, and memories in my heart before going up to heaven. — Wonjung Choo