For you, I went around the mountain.

Yesterday’s Sunday message (Note 1) ended with these words from God:
“Because of you, I had to take the long way around the mountain. That’s why it took so long. Please understand My heart.”

When I heard that, I wrote it down and prayed, “Lord, what does this mean? I don’t get it.” God didn’t answer me right away.

After service, everyone gathered in small groups. Monica had made borscht, and thankfully we found a little room just big enough for three of us to sit and enjoy her healthy, home-cooked food together.

Now that I’m middle-aged, health problems keep popping up. I don’t even remember when I started taking medicine for blood sugar. The doctor told me to cut down on carbs—skip rice and bread as much as possible. But honestly, starting my day with a latte and some bread became a habit I couldn’t break. I tried many times but failed.

During the message, SSN shared a story about instant coffee. It made me laugh, but I also felt guilty before God for not managing my health better.

Here’s the story (Note 1):
When SSN(Note 2) ate instant noodles or drank instant coffee, he felt it was delicious and enjoyable. But because he was afraid of forming a habit, he usually limited himself to drinking one cup of instant coffee only once every 15 days or once a month.

Then the Holy Spirit told him, “Once you get into the habit of drinking instant coffee, you’ll quickly become addicted. You already don’t eat enough nutritious food, so don’t drink that kind of thing. Instead, drink the corn silk tea and roasted brown rice tea provided here.”

After that, SSN would just look at the box of instant coffee he had bought. No matter how attractive the coffee seemed, he would only open one packet every three months, making it in a large cup. And now, he doesn’t drink it at all.

Whenever God or the Holy Spirit told SSN something, he acted right away. His decisiveness inspired me, especially since I’ve failed so many times to quit coffee or eat better. I always thought, “It’s not urgent. It’s easier to grab something at 7-Eleven.”

Monica couldn’t stand watching that. She had a health coach license and loved cooking, so whenever she had time, she prepared some delicious and healthy food at home on Sunday mornings and brought it to church. A few sisters would eat and chat together, mostly about healthy food. It meant using less oil, less sugar, and less salt, and eating veggies first, then protein, then carbs so that blood sugar would rise more slowly. She even taught us how to make kefir yogurt at home, paired with nuts and fruit, and brewed bitter melon water and okra water. Suddenly foods I never liked—like bitter melon, tofu, and boiled tuna—became regulars on the table. We joked that life with Monica felt pretty fancy.

What really made me take things seriously was wearing a continuous glucose monitor last week. I tested all my usual foods, and the results shocked me. Two slices of toast with apple and cheese plus a latte sent my blood sugar into the high zone within an hour. Even just a few cookies pushed it right out of the safe range. The numbers didn’t lie.

Seeing those sharp spikes on the graphs every day made me realize I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

After so many detours, I finally started caring about what I eat. And I thought: this is what it means when God says He “went around the mountain” for me. If only I could act right away, like SSN — taking God’s word seriously and putting it into practice—then God wouldn’t need to go to such lengths.

My habits, personality, and way of thinking are like mountains blocking me from fully hearing God. But because He loves me, God goes around the mountain—working through people, experiences, and even my health—so that I can finally understand and change.

And it’s not just about food. It’s the same in many areas of life. In this week’s message on “Strengths and Weaknesses,” I was reminded how the Holy Spirit has been working for years to help me see and fix blind spots in my personality. These traits felt like they were “just who I am,” but God patiently showed me they needed to change.

The message said:
“Some people never fix their bad habits. Once they take root, they stay for life. Wrong habits and flaws will torment you that much.” (Note 1)

So yes, there are mountains between me and God—built up from years of wrong habits and thoughts. But God, out of love, still goes around them to reach me. He wants me to live a better life. He stepped in to help me, and I want to write this down to express my love and gratitude to Him.

And also for you who are reading this—I hope you too can meet the Lord who goes around the mountain just to find you.

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Note 1: From the Sunday message, August 31, 2025: “Strengths and Weaknesses”

Note 2: SSN stands for the Korean word “선생님” (seonsaengnim), which means “teacher.” In Providence, this title refers to Pastor Jung Myung Seok. We call him “Teacher” because he delivers God’s word of life, teaches us the truth of the Bible, and shows us how to walk the path of life.