As I have trusted in God and served Him, financial blessings have been tagging along quite naturally.
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April 11, 2010 |
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 Testimony of 1 Nakhong Im, President of Lime Insurance, Inc.
Following the Young Adults' Mission Devotional Service in 1997, the year I turned 29, there was a discussion session. As Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee spoke on the secrets to blessings, he planted in our hearts dreams and visions. I boldly declared at the time, "Senior Pastor! I will one day become a successful entrepreneur and assist the church and the shepherd!"
My baby has Down syndrome?!
I married Deaconess Hyesook Kim in November 2000, when I was making every effort to be successful and running at a business called "Flowers at a Lightning Speed," a flower delivery service. A few months into our marriage, there was an opportunity for both of us to examine our faith.
"Honey, the hospital called and they said something's wrong. They asked us to come at once."
When we went to the hospital in July 2001, the doctor said that according to the fetal deformity test performed at the 16 weeks of pregnancy, there was a high likelihood of our baby's having been stricken by Down syndrome and recommended that we go to a bigger hospital.
'Why did something like this happen to us?'
At that moment, I remembered a sermon message that said the problems in children are often attributed to the sins of their parents. I looked back and found many things of which I needed to repent. Prior to the marriage, I had served diligently as President of the Paul's Mission (a group of unmarried men over the age of 31) and zealously looked after the Mission members. After I'd gotten married, I enjoyed spending time with the family more and realized I had not been praying from the heart. I repented of those sins. Towards the end of July that year, I attended the Men's Mission Summer Retreat and following a seminar, the Senior Pastor prayed for all of the members present. I learned later that at that moment, my wife's heart was filled with peace and she was convinced of God's healing.
Giving birth to a healthy boy
Following the three-day Summer Retreat, we were waiting for the results of the amnioscopy at Boramae Hospital. During that time, my wife and I prepared and gave by faith the mission and construction offerings and received the Senior Pastor's prayer for blessings.
A few days later, my wife had a dream in which the Senior Pastor appeared and laid his hand on the fetus to pray. The same night, I had a dream in which I received abundant blessings at work. Five days later was the day the amnioscopy results were due and we could hardly see what God had in store for us.
"The fetus is normal and healthy!"
On January 6, 2002, Sungmin was born and everything at work was also prospering as the flower delivery orders kept coming in.
Taking out loans recklessly
At the beginning, I had received God's answers to even the smallest of my prayer requests. At some point, however, I started to do things my way. When the operation funds were running low, instead of seeking prayer for the collection of fees, I began using a variety of credit cards and taking out loans recklessly. The business, at the onset, looked as though it was going to prosper without any trouble but the number of orders kept decreasing and, with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, I was on a downhill. I failed to recognize what had gone wrong.
We began to cling to God in earnest. The more we prayed, the more we became aware of the times when we did not wholly trust in God but trusted the world and its ways, and I repented of the way in which I had changed by the money.
At the time, all incomes were spent on making credit card payments and payments on the interest on the loans, and the debt kept on ballooning.
"Honey, keep your head up! You will succeed!"
My wife uttered no word of complaints no matter how tough things got going but instead treated me by faith. I was always grateful for her.
Marching in faith, making a career switch
At the recommendation of an acquaintance who opened the South Seoul Branch of Shinhan Life Insurance, I entered the insurance planning industry in May 2003. Thinking that this was the last option and that there was nowhere else left to go, I decided to enter this field and quitted the flower delivery service. With the resolve to magnify God as an insurance planner, I vowed to trust only in Him without wavering of the heart.
"Father God! Here is where I'm going today, and I'll be meeting so-and-so."
I came to work early and as soon as I sat at my desk, I committed the day's work to God in prayer. I always had the handkerchief of God's power on which the Senior Pastor had prayed (Acts 19:11-12) in the inside pocket of my jacket and met with clients.
"Hello! How's your business?"
I always made sure to put a smile and even when potential clients treated me harshly, I treated them only with respect. When people refused even to speak with me, I made the extra effort to talk to them and made them my clients. With whomever I met, I discussed not only the business with them but also listened to what they had to say, tried to understand them, and offered spiritual counseling whenever necessary. I also never forgot to pray for them.
As a result, I was able to secure contracts at large organizations or corporations where my coworkers had been unsuccessful. Furthermore, as contracts were signed at places big and small, I came in first at the Branch in sales from the second month I began working. By March 2004, after 10 months I'd begun working, I received an overflowing blessing of giving God over $1,600 in tithes every month.
Devoting myself to prayer without wavering
In October 2005, I switched from Shinhan, a life insurance company, to Meritz Fire Insurance. People weren't sure why I was switching jobs when my income was solid. At the time, there was an active talk of having to go on business trips to different parts throughout the country for higher results. However, it was going to be difficult for me to participate in "Daniel Prayer Meetings" if I were to travel on business.
"Ah! This can't be! Prayer is my life line! What am I to do?"
Even if my income were to decrease, praying to God came before all else. This is because, when I started working as an insurance planner, I had vowed to trust only in God without wavering of the heart.
But the income continued to decrease. In analyzing my daily activities and the causes one day, I realized that I was busy in the mornings with meetings and making preparations to meet with clients, and the efficiency was low because it took too much time to close one deal. This led to my running of an insurance agency.
Continued in the next issue...
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