A life led by the Holy Spirit overflows with inner strength and joy. In such a life, one feels at every moment that I am no longer the master of myself. God, even now, cherishes my existence—insignificant as I am—and desires to pour His Spirit upon me, to use me as His good instrument.

Last spring, I returned to my homeland after sixteen years. From the moment I arrived, through every day I stayed there, I experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit again and again.

At Incheon International Airport, after collecting my luggage, I took a taxi. The driver, a man in his early forties, and I began a casual conversation about life. As I listened with interest, he began to open his heart about his recent family troubles—his voice trembling with despair and a weariness that bordered on hopelessness.

He told me that though he had worked sixteen hours a day to support his wife and children, his wife had recently become unfaithful. Now, he said, he no longer had the will to work; his heart was filled with anxiety and anger, and life had lost all meaning.

As I listened, I silently prayed for the Spirit’s wisdom.

“Sir,” I said gently, “you’ve worked hard and lived faithfully, haven’t you?”

“Of course,” he replied.

“But there’s one thing you haven’t done your best in,” I said softly. “Your wife may have needed the house and the money—but there’s something even more precious you couldn’t give her.”

“I did my best,” he protested.

“No,” I said. “Your wife’s heart feels empty. Not only hers—every human heart is made that way. Sir, you don’t go to church, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“It’s not too late. For your wife, your family—what you need most urgently as a husband and father is to invite Jesus into your life. Then you’ll find joy and purpose greater than before—and even your wife’s heart will change.”

He nodded slowly. “I’ve sometimes thought about going to church,” he said. “But I’ve been too busy working. Madam, you seem to be a truly happy person.”

“Yes,” I replied. “Before I knew Jesus, my heart was always empty. I used to wander, chasing happiness over the next hill. But now that I’ve met Him, every day is filled with joy—and my family is truly happy.”

The driver nodded again, his eyes soft with peace. When we reached my destination, I gave him a generous tip and said several times, “Please meet Jesus.” As I stepped out, I felt deeply that God was urgently seeking to save this man and his household.

A few days later, I took my mother to a beauty salon before a wedding. After running some errands, I returned to pick her up. As I entered, one of the hairdressers asked, “Would you like to have your hair done?” Almost without thinking, I said, “Well… I only came to pick up my mother—but perhaps you could make my hair look nice?”

Without any plan, I found myself sitting in the chair. Amused at my own spontaneity, I watched her quietly in the mirror. She was a young woman, perhaps in her late twenties, her face pale and bare of makeup, shadowed by sorrow.

“You look tired,” I said gently.

She gave a faint smile. “I’m all right,” she whispered.

“How long have you been doing this work?” I asked.

“About ten years,” she said. “I’m sorry I look this way—I haven’t even been able to put on makeup. My youngest brother died two days ago in a motorcycle accident. He was the only son, born after seven daughters…”

Tears streamed down her face.

“Oh, you’re still in mourning,” I said softly. “It’s remarkable that you’re working despite your grief. Did your brother know Jesus?”

“No,” she said. “My parents are Confucian.”

“And you?”

“Yes,” she said. “My father-in-law is a pastor. Because of his encouragement, I sometimes went to church, but not seriously.”

“So your brother was twenty-two?” I asked. “He’s entrusted the rest of his life to you now. You must live for both of you—but something must change, don’t you think?” She nodded quietly.

“I hadn’t planned to come here at all,” I told her. “But I believe the Holy Spirit led me—because He wants to comfort you. Shall we pray together for a moment?”

There, in the middle of the salon, with her hands still tangled in my hair and customers waiting nearby, we prayed earnestly for God’s comfort and peace. When we finished, she wiped her tears and thanked me. She refused to take payment, saying she could never accept it. I embraced her before leaving, feeling a deep love and connection as though parting from a lifelong friend.

There is a line in hymn #427 that says:

“I’m rejoicing night and day, As I walk the pilgrim way,
For the hand of God in all my life I see.
And the reason of my bliss, Yes, the secret all is this:
That the comforter abides with me, … ” (H. Buffum)

I have always confessed this hymn as my own testimony. Walking daily with the Spirit, I find joy even on the narrow road.

The Holy Spirit is not mine alone—it is God’s free gift to all who have been baptized and forgiven (Acts 2:38).

And so today, once again, I pray that the Holy Spirit may fill me—
that I might be used as God’s living instrument.