A life lived with the Holy Spirit is one in which inner strength and joy well up continually, and in every moment you sense that you are no longer the one in control. Even now, God cherishes my existence—so small and insignificant—and pours out His Spirit, desiring to use me as His good instrument.

Last spring, I visited Korea for the first time in sixteen years. From the moment I arrived, throughout my stay, I experienced several profound moments of the Holy Spirit’s presence. After retrieving my luggage at Gimpo Airport, I got into a taxi. The driver, a man in his early forties, began sharing bits and pieces of his life story. I listened with interest, and soon he opened up about his family situation. With deep sighs and a sense of despair, he confessed that he no longer knew why he should keep living.

He explained that he had worked tirelessly—driving sixteen hours a day—doing everything he could for his wife and children, never once thinking of it as hardship. But recently, he discovered that his wife had been unfaithful. Now he felt no desire to work, and even when he did, he was filled with anxiety and anger, unable to find any joy in life.

As I listened, I quietly asked the Holy Spirit for wisdom.

“Sir, you’ve really done your best up to now, haven’t you?” “Of course!” “…But there is one thing you haven’t done your best in. You see, your wife needs the house and the money, yes—but there is something far more precious and necessary that you haven’t given her.” “I really did my best!” “No… your wife’s heart feels empty. In fact, every human heart is made with an emptiness inside. Sir, you don’t go to church, do you?” “…No.” “It’s not too late. For your wife, for your family, the most urgent and essential thing you can do as the head of your home is to welcome Jesus. If you do, your life will become more meaningful and joyful than before, and even the problems with your wife will be resolved.” “…To be honest, I’ve sometimes wanted to go to church, but because of work I never could. You seem like a very happy person.” “Of course! Before I knew Jesus, my heart was always empty, and I kept searching for happiness somewhere beyond the mountains. But after meeting Jesus, my daily life became joyful, and our family truly became happy.”

The driver nodded and his eyes softened with peace. I gave him a generous tip and, repeating several times, “Please meet Jesus,” I stepped out of the taxi. In that moment, I sensed how urgently God longed to save him and his family.

A few days later, I took my mother to a beauty salon before attending a wedding. After running an errand, I returned to pick her up. As I walked in, one of the stylists asked, “Would you like to get your hair done?” Caught off guard, I replied, “Well… I’m here for my mother, but… could you make my hair pretty?” Without any plan at all, I suddenly found myself sitting in the chair.

Amused by my own spontaneity, I watched the young stylist—probably in her late twenties—through the mirror. She wore no makeup, her face pale, and she seemed weighed down by sorrow. Sensing her heaviness, I gently said, “You look tired.” She gave a faint smile and whispered, “I’m okay.”

“How long have you been doing this wonderful work?” “About ten years. I’m sorry I couldn’t even put on makeup to greet customers… Two days ago, my youngest brother died in a motorcycle accident. He was the only son in our family after my parents had seven daughters…”

Tears streamed down her face.

“Oh… you’re in mourning. You’re remarkable—working even in such grief. Did your brother receive Jesus?” “No… my parents follow Confucian traditions.” “And you—do you know Jesus?” “Yes. My parents‑in‑law are pastors. I used to go to church because of their encouragement.” “He was twenty‑two, you said? He entrusted the rest of his life to you before he left. Now you must live the portion he left behind. Something in your life will need to change, won’t it?”

She nodded.

“I actually had no intention of getting my hair done today. I only stopped by for a moment. But I believe the Holy Spirit wants to comfort you. Shall we pray together?”

Holding the hands of a stranger, sitting in a salon chair with hair scattered everywhere and customers waiting, I prayed earnestly for God’s comfort. She wiped her tears and thanked me deeply, insisting she could not accept payment for the hair styling. As I embraced her tightly before leaving, I felt a deep affection—as though parting from someone I had known for a long time.

There is a hymn—Hymn 427—that says:

“Walking in the pilgrim way with joy each day, For the Lord’s own hand is holding me. The secret of receiving His great blessings Is that His Spirit dwells with me.”

I confess these lyrics as my own testimony of faith. Because I walk with the Holy Spirit, I can “walk the narrow way with joy day and night.” The Holy Spirit is not mine alone. He is God’s free gift to all who are baptized and forgiven (Acts 3:38). Today again, I pray to be filled with this Spirit and used as God’s instrument.

— Yoon Wan‑Hee, July 13, 1996